Keep Hold of My Heart
by Halebxxx
Summary: Six years after he and Hanna left Rosewood together to start their new lives in New York, Caleb returns without her, but soon finds out it wasn't just Hanna he left behind when he went to Europe. Semi-Canon with 6b and 7a. Xxx
1. Chapter 1

**Okay so I've had this story in my head since we found out that Haleb were going to break up but I didn't write it down because I wanted to see what happened in 6b first. I have a rough idea of where its going although I don't have anything else written down as I've been really busy lately revising for my GCSE's but I wanted to post this chapter to get your reactions and see if I should continue.**

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Keep Hold of My Heart

Chapter One

Caleb turned the corner in his Jeep and drove past the Rosewood sign. He entered the familiar town and drove through it past the church and the police station until he reached his old apartment block. He pulled up outside and got out of the car, taking his suitcase from the boot he made his way inside.

The small apartment was covered in layers of dust and the only light source was the October sun which was peeping through the gaps in the card board that was covering the windows. Flicking on the lights he pulled his case inside and left it by the bed. Then he made his way back outside and started bringing in the few boxes he had picked up from storage on his way over, ready to unpack.

Two hours later Caleb finally slumped down onto the sofa and looked around at all his work. The apartment was looking a lot brighter and more like home again. The evening sun now shone through the open windows and the thick layer of dust was gone. All the boxes had been emptied and the personal items placed on shelves and in the drawers that they belonged to.

He sat up slightly to pull his phone, cigarette packet and lighter out of his pocket. He pulled out a cigarette and light it before throwing everything onto the coffee table. His head rested against the back of the sofa as he took a long drag from his cigarette and relaxed. His eyes wondered to the box in the corner that he couldn't bring himself to open. He knew exactly what was in it without having to lift the lid.

The box was filled with Hanna's things.

All the pictures of her, all the memories of her and everything that she used to keep at his apartment when he lived here in his late teens. It reminded him of everything they had and how they escaped this town to start their life together in New York six years ago. And now, here he was back in Rosewood again, on his own.

 _..."Look I'll only miss Prague. I'll fly straight from Tokyo to Budapest." She told him._

 _Caleb shook his head and turned around to he was facing her. "You said you wanted to talk about this, you've already made up your mind."_

 _"If I don't go I'll loose my job."_

 _"Do you know how many times I've heard that?" Caleb scoffed stretching out his hands. "You said that on my birthday, on your birthday, on New Year's Eve. Hanna your life is on a loop, I'm barely apart of it."_

 _"What do you want me to do?" She asked. He didn't understand she had no choice._

 _"I want you to say no to your boss and come with me to Europe like we've been planning for the last three months." He pleaded._

 _"I can't do that." She replied angrily but softened when she looked at his face. "I'm sorry." She said reaching forward for his hands._

 _Caleb stepped back and turned his head to the side away from her, knowing that if he looked into her eyes he would give in again._ _She looked at him for a few seconds before turning and walking to the door._ _"If you go I'm not going to be here when you get back." Caleb said then, making a decision._

 _"What do you mean?" Hanna asked letting go of the door._

 _"I'm leaving today." He shook his head again. "I can't keep doing this."_

 _She looked at the door and then back at him. "We'll work this out, like we always do." She opened the door fully and took hold of her case. "I'll call you from the cab." And with that she was gone..._

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Caleb woke up the next morning from where he had fallen asleep on the sofa, tired from yesterdays journey. The sun was once again shining through the windows and birds were singing outside. He stretched and stood up before lighting another cigarette and making his way over to the kitchen area. His stomach growled as he searched his cupboards for something to eat. They were bare except for a half eaten sandwich he hadn't finished last night. He sighed and took a drag of his cigarette before he headed to the bathroom for a shower.

After his shower he headed to the supermarket to stock up on food. When his basket was full he turned around and started walking to the tills when a blonde woman, who had been looking down at her phone, crashed into him and fell to the ground. Caleb looked down at her to apologise it before any words came out of his mouth she looked p and their eyes met.

"Hanna." He gulped.

She gasped and her heart froze. "Caleb."

They just stared at each other for a few seconds unable to speak or move in the shock of seeing each other again. He knew that there was a possibility they might run into each other eventually but he didn't expect it to be on his first day back. He was the first one to break away and held out his hand to help her up.

"Thanks," she mumbled dusting down her jeans as her cheeks turned red.

"Are you okay?" He asked, still keeping hold of her hand.

She nodded and pulled her hand away. "I have to go." She said before turning around and quickly walking away from him, not daring to look back. Caleb just watched her leave the shop, unable to say or do anything until she was gone.

He sighed and picked up his basket he had dropped. Then he spotted an iPhone with a blue case, It was Hanna's, He had seen it in her hands before he knocked her over. He bent down and picked it up before he stuffed it into his pocket and carried on to the till.

"Caleb?" He herd a familiar voice calling his name from behind as he exited the supermarket. He turned around to see his old friend walking towards him in his cop uniform.

"Toby." He smiled walking up to him. "It good to see you man." He said as Toby pulled him in for a hug and patted his back.

"You too." Toby smiled. "What brought you back to Rosewood? Last I herd you was traveling around Europe."

Caleb looked down. "Not anymore. I'm back. I got work at Hollis doing all the tech stuff for the computers." He explained.

"Do you need a place to stay, my cabins still available?"

"No I'm good. My mom never sold my old apartment so I'm staying their again."

"Okay, well I have a shift now but do want to go for a drink sometime and catch up properly?" Toby asked.

"Yeah, whereabouts?"

"What about tomorrow night, at the Grille?"

"That's fine, see you then." Caleb smiled before he made his way back to his car. as he started the ignition his mind went back to the phone in his pocket and Hanna. He wondered what had happened to her since they had last seen each other and what had brought her back to Rosewood. He decided to go to the only place he knew she had connections, the home she had invited him into all them years ago when he had no where else to go.

It took him a few minutes to arrive at the Marin home and before he had thought about what he was doing he had knocked on the door. He froze momentarily. He should have thought this through better. He'd already bumped into her today, quite literally and now he was just showing up at her doorstep, but it was too late now the handle on the door twisted and it opened.

Hanna widened her eyes as she saw him and stepped outside, closing the door behind her. "Hey," Caleb smiled hesitantly as he shoved his hands in his jacket pockets.

"Hi." She replied not knowing what else to say. "What are you doing here?"

Caleb's mind went blank as he looked at her, taking in all her features like it was the first time he had seen her. "I- I just… you dropped your phone." He said remembering why he was here and pulled her phone out of his pocket.

"Thanks." She swallowed taking it from him. "How did you know I was here?"

"I just guessed." He shrugged and stuffed his hands back in his pocket. Instinct took over and he stepped closer. "Can I come in?"

Hanna froze and stepped back gripping onto the door handle. "I was just going out, so…"

"It fine." He smiled awkwardly, annoyed at himself for asking. "I should go."

"Thanks for bringing me my phone." Hanna said as he turned around.

"No problem." Caleb smiled.

"Bye." Hanna smiled back weakly, watching as he walked down the path. she waited until he was back in his car and had driven off before she went back inside. As soon as the lock clicked she leant back against the door and closed her eyes, letting out a long sigh. Panic had taken over when she crashed into him at the supermarket and had abandoned her shopping to race home. She thought that after New York she'd never see him again. That was it, he was gone... but now he was back and it wouldn't take him long to realise-

"Mommy." A voice called from the living room, interrupting her her thoughts. It was soon followed by a little girl running into the hallway and up to her mother. "Who was at the door?"

"No one, baby." Hanna replied quickly. She walked over her and put her hands on her shoulder. "Come on, you need to finish your homework." She said leading her back into the living room.

Hanna leant down and pressed a kiss to her daughters head before glancing back at the door one last time.

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 **Tell me what you think and if I should carry on xxxxx**


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm so sorry I posted the next chapter of my other story on here instead. I don't know how but im going to blame my lack of sleep and revising brain. I hope you weren't too annoyed when you realised it wasn't the next chapter of this story but** **here's the actual chapter two. I hope you like it. Xxx**

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Chapter Two

At Monday lunch time Hanna found herself sat at a table in the Brew lost in her thoughts yet again. She was supposed to be getting through the pile of work her boss had given her but Caleb was clouding every single thought she had. The last two nights had been sleepless. She had lay awake tossing, turning and worrying that everything she had done to protect her daughter was going to unravel and Caleb would find out the truth. Now he was back in Rosewood it would be so much easier for him to find out. If he had simply looked at the lock-screen on her phone he would have known and all it took was them meeting at the supermarket again or anywhere in Rosewood and he would know.

Caleb had also had two sleepless nights and couldn't get Hanna out of his head no matter how hard he tried. Every time he closed his eyes her beautiful face looked up at him with her blue eyes gleaming. He had spent most of Saturday night staring at the box in the corner of his apartment but still hadn't been able to open it. He thought he was finally getting over her, it had been six years for god sake but, ever since he had knocked her over she had been in every single thought he had.

At lunch time he finished his shift at Hollis and drove to the Brew to get a sandwich for lunch. He payed the teenager at the counter and started making his way out when he spotted her on the other side of the Brew staring down at her coffee. He glanced back at the door before walking over to her. "You know your supposed to drink that, not just look at it." He said making Hanna jump.

"God Caleb." She gasped placing her hand on her chest and taking a deep breath. He had scared the crap out of her by interrupting her thoughts about him with his actual presence.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He apologised. "Can I sit down?"

Hanna looked at the chair opposite her for a few seconds before reluctantly nodding. She didn't want him to think she was avoiding him even though she was trying to. He pulled the chair out and sat down across from her. Hanna could feel his gaze on her but was determined not to look up into them eyes that once could make her spill her heart out in one glance. "So, how have you been?" Caleb asked, trying to get rid of the awkwardness.

"I've been okay." Hanna replied, letting out a small smile.

"Are you still in New York?"

"Yeah, but my boss is opening a store in Philly so it's easier if I stay at my moms house for now." She answered, taking a sip of her coffee.

"Your still rodey for a bunch of dresses?" He chuckled.

"That's me." Hanna laughed looking up at him for the first time but as soon as their eyes met she stopped and looked down again.

Caleb cleared his throat. "How long are you staying in Rosewood?" He asked.

"The store should open in the new year so a few months." She replied. He couldn't help but smile knowing she would be here until New Year. "What about you? Why are you back in Rosewood?" Hanna asked.

"I still have my old apartment here so I thought I'd come back. It's the only place that ever felt like home." He said looking down at the last part. It wasn't Rosewood that felt like home to him it was Hanna and he had tried to convince himself that the whole reason for his move back here wasn't because there was a chance he would see her again, but clearly his plan had worked.

She looked up at him at that comment and gave him a small smile. "Do you have a job here?"

"Yeah, I work at Hollis."

"Your a teacher?"

"No, I just sort out all the computers when they crash and stuff." He chuckled.

"I was going to say I'd never thought you'd be a teacher since you spent most your life skipping school." She gave him another small smile as all the awkwardness that had been there before slowly disappeared.

"How are all the other girls? Do you still speak to them?" Caleb asked.

She nodded. "We still talk but we're all so spread out so we don't see each other much."

Caleb nodded. "What about Charlotte?"

He could visible see Hanna tense up when he said her name and the small smile on her face dropped. "She got released from hospital a year ago and moved to Australia with Alison."

"Australia?"

She raised her eyes brows and nodded. "I think they both wanted a fresh start away from here and I'm glad that bitch is far away." Hanna muttered.

Caleb let out a small laugh.

"I shouldn't have said that." Hanna gasped bringing her hand up to her mouth.

"I won't tell anyone." He grinned. "Did you see her when she got released?" He asked, becoming serious again.

She shook her head. "No, I didn't want to relive everything again." She muttered, looking down at her hands that were joined on the table.

Caleb could see how much of an effect all of Charlottes tormenting still had on Hanna. He reached forward and placed his hand on top of hers. "I'm here if you want to talk."

Hanna looked up into his eyes. He was still the same old Caleb; funny, caring and protective. She felt her heart clench when the rough skin of his hands touched her delicate ones. "I know."

He ran his thumb over her hand again until he felt something hard and cold touch his skin. He moved his hands away and spotted a huge diamond ring on her finger. "Your married?"

"Engaged." Her voice cracked as she looked down and moved her hands under the table. The hurt in his eyes was so obvious.

Caleb felt betrayed for a second before he remembered that Hanna wasn't his anymore. Just talking to her made him forget that everything else in the world existed and forget about everything that happened six years ago.

He cleared his throat again a stood up. "I should go." He gave her one last nod before walking away and out the door of the Brew. Both of them being back in Rosewood gave him the smallest bit of hope that maybe something would happen between them and sparks would once again fly and they would fall in love all over again in the town they had first fallen for each other.

But she had moved on from their breakup, met someone new and fallen in love again and there was nothing he could do except stand back and let her live her life. Maybe seeing her move on would be what he needed to move on himself, finally.

Hanna glanced back at her ring for a second as she watched Caleb leave. Not letting herself get lost in thought again she collected her things together and paid for her unfinished coffee before heading home. Once she was through the door she threw her bag and coat down and headed straight for the kitchen. Ashley Marin was stood at the kitchen island messing with her hand bag but Hanna ignored her and slumped straight down onto the stool. "Good afternoon to you too." Ashley muttered.

Hanna still didn't reply and Ashley could sense something was wrong by her daughters body language. "Is everything okay?"

Hanna sighed and shook her head. "I thought you were supposed to be at The Radley all day?" She asked.

"I was but I forgot my phone so had to come back. Are you going to tell me what's wrong with you?" She replied sitting on the stool next to her.

She shook her head again and stared at her nails. Ashley was about to give up when Hanna just blurted everything out. "Caleb's back."

Ashley nearly fell off her stool hearing his name again after all these years. "Caleb Rivers?"

Hanna let out another long sigh. "Caleb Rivers." She confirmed.

Ashley sighed again and realised what had been troubling her daughter for the past few days. "When did you see him?"

"Today at the Brew." She replied. "But that's not the first time. I bumped into him in the supermarket on Saturday and then he came here to give me my phone back because I dropped it."

"Why didn't you tell me on Saturday?" Ashley asked. Hanna just shrugged. "You do know what this means don't you?" Ashley asked. "You need to talk to him and tell him he's got a daughter."

"We talked today."

"What did you tell him?"

Hanna looked down again at her engagement ring. "He knows I'm engaged."

Ashley sighed again and shook her head. "Hanna you need to tell him about Scarlett. He deserves to know."

"I can't just go up to him and spring it on him, he has no idea." Hanna snapped.

"He needs to know." Ashley repeated before standing up and taking her hand bag. "Im going back to work. See you tonight." She said walking past and kissing her daughters head.

Hanna breathed out and leant her head in her hands. She knew that Caleb needed to know, it was unfair to keep it from him but it wasn't just Caleb she was thinking about. This would have such a huge effect on her daughter. Scarlett was five years old and ran around without a care in the world and she was scared that it would change Scarlett and she would see the huge mistake her Mommy had made six years ago in New York.

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Caleb finished his cigarette and stubbed it out with his foot before he walked into the Rosewood Grille. He spotted Toby sat in the corner with a beer and walked over to join him. "Hey man, how you doing?" He asked patting Toby's back.

"Good. Sorry I had to cancel on Saturday my girlfriend's parents decided to pay a visit." Toby said, rolling his eyes as Caleb sat down across from him.

"Don't worry about it." Caleb smiled. "So long time no see."

"I know man, where have you been for the past six years?" Toby asked.

"Everywhere." Caleb muttered ordering a beer from a waitress that passed them.

"Everywhere but here." Toby corrected him.

"What about you? Who's this new girlfriend?" Caleb asked moving the subject away from himself.

"Her names Yvonne." Toby said.

"And..."

"And?"

"Is that all you know about her? Her name?" Caleb chuckled taking a sip of his beer.

"She works in politics." He said. "And I'm building us a house."

"A house. Wow, you must be serious."

"Yeah, we are." Toby smiled.

Caleb took another sip of his beer. Toby was another person who had moved on from his teenage love and let go of the past.

"What about you? Anyone special?" Toby asked him. He shook his head. "So you've not been with anyone for five years?" Toby asked.

"Not more than one night." He replied. "Which is long enough." Toby nodded, wondering if Caleb was still caught up on a certain blonde. "Anyway, tell me everything that's happened in this place since I left." Caleb said shifting the conversation again.

"Honestly, not much. Once all the girls left everything quietened down." Toby shrugged. "Ezra comes back every so often, he still owns the Brew."

"Do you still talk to him?" Caleb asked

"Sometimes, he always seems to be drunk though or at least with a beer in his hand." He replied.

"I know how that feels." Caleb muttered quietly looking down at the beer in his hand.

"And I see you have started smoking." Toby commented. "I can smell it off you from here." Caleb picked up the corner of his t-shirt and smelt it. Toby was right, all his clothes probably stank of cigarettes but he didn't help himself by smoking inside his apartment. Toby shook his head and chuckled. "You don't don't give two shits that your ruining your lungs, do you?"

Caleb shook his head and leant back into the chair, rolling his eyes. "You sound like my mother." toby laughed too and took a sip of his beer. "What about the girls?" Caleb asked then. "Where are they now?"

"Well Spencer and me still talk sometimes and she's in Washington. And Aria, I think is in Boston and Emily is in California. And Alison-" He started but was cut off.

"Is in Australia." Caleb finished.

"How do you know?"

"Hanna told me."

"Hanna?!"

"Yeah, I bumped into her a couple of days ago and we talked this morning in the Brew." Caleb explained. "She's staying at her moms for a bit."

"I know, I've talked to her a few times." Toby said slowly trying to tell if Caleb knew anything. He didn't look like a man who had just found out he had a child. "What did you talk about?"

Caleb picked up on his change in attitude. "I know she's engaged Toby." He said thinking that was what Toby wanted him to know.

Toby just nodded. Caleb was clearly oblivious to the little girl running around this town that he had fathered. "Did she tell you anything else?"

"No. Why should she?" Caleb asked extremely confused now.

"No…its-No." He had to stop himself. It wasn't his place to tell Caleb, it was Hanna's.

Caleb just looked at him for a few seconds trying to figure out what else Hanna needed to tell him. It couldn't be that important or she would have said something when he talked to her this morning. Toby could tell Caleb was trying to work out what he was hiding and panicked, not wanting the whole situation worse so stood up. "Another beer?"

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 **Please tell me what you think and I need some ideas of how Caleb finds out about Scarlett. Do you like the name Scarlett? I took me ages to decide and I'm not completely sure but I guess I cant change I now.**

 **Pll. - I can promise you now that there is going to be no Spaleb whatsoever in this story so you don't need to worry. Spencer isn't even going to be in it and she didn't meet up with Caleb in Spain or anywhere else. And as for Jordan, this chapter kind of answered that one. And the song title is from Home. As you can probably tell I'm crap at making up titles for stories and I really loved this song and though it for the kiss perfectly so I stole one of the lyrics.**

 **I just wanted to thank everyone who reviewed. I wasn't expecting so many so thank you. Xxx**


	3. Chapter 3

**I owe a big thank you to KindofCrazy for helping me write this chapter. I changed her idea's a little bit but she's been such a big help to me so thank you xxxx.** **And thank you to everyone else who helped, hollyhalebnichorelloregelolove who gave a similar idea to KindofCrazy. xx**

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Chapter Three

"Scarlett, hurry up or you'll be late for school." Hanna called up the stairs of her Mothers house as she stood by the door, impatiently waiting for her daughter.

"Coming mommy." She called back as she appeared at the top of the stairs, rolling her eyes.

"Don't roll your eyes at me, missy." Hanna warned.

Scarlett let out a cheeky giggle and started walking down the stairs dragging her sparkly purple rucksack behind her. Once she was at the bottom Hanna helped her put it on her shoulders and they set off. They walked through the housing estate and into town. Hanna was walking quite far ahead of Scarlett who was trailing behind, stopping every time something interesting caught her eyes.

Hanna turned around to check where Scarlett was and saw how far behind she was. "Stop dawdling, Scar." She called holding out her hand for Scarlett to catch up.

The little girl ran up to her mother and took her hand. "What are doing Mommy?" She asked as Hanna turned back to look at her phone.

"My boss want me to order the carpets for her new shop but I don't know what colour she wants." Hanna replied.

"I though you didn't like your boss?" Scarlett asked innocently.

Hanna held in a laugh and brought their joined hands up so she could tap her daughters nose. "I don't, but don't tell anyone." She whispered.

Scarlett squinted up at her mother as the morning sun shone in her face and grinned. "Promise."

Hanna's phone started ringing and a picture of her boss appeared on the screen. She rolled her eyes before answering it. "Hi Claudia." She answered in her best cheery voice.

"How long will my carpets take to come?" Claudia asked down the phone.

"I don't know, I'm ordering them now." Hanna replied.

"You haven't ordered them yet?!"

"No, I didn't know what colour you wanted." Hanna replied.

Scarlett spotted a cat scurry across the road to their side of the pavement. The bell on its collar jingling as it reached up to lick it's paw. Scarlett let go of Hanna's hand and walked up to it as Hanna turned a corner whilst her boss started ranting on about the material of the carpets not noticing Scarlett trail back. She took a step closer to the cat but startled it and it quickly ran off. When she stood up she couldn't see Hanna anywhere. She looked all around her but her mother was no where to be seen. The five-year-old panicked and her eyes filled with tears.

A middle aged woman spotted the little girl standing in the middle of the sidewalk alone and went up to her. "Are you okay, sweetie?" She asked softly.

Scarlett looked up at her but didn't respond. "Where's your Mommy and Daddy?" The woman asked again.

"I don't know." Scarlett mumbled back, shoving her fingers in her mouth as she tried her best not to cry.

"I'll help you find them." The woman smiled kindly as the door to the corner shop next to them opened and a man stepped out shoving the packet of cigarettes he had just bought into his coat pocket . "Excuse me, sir?" The woman asked, getting his attention. "I couldn't borrow your phone, could I?" She asked. "I've left mine at home and this little girl is lost."

"Yeah, sure." Caleb nodded, pulling it out of his pocket and handing it to her. Then he looked at the little girl, she looked about four or five and had long, wavy blonde hair. She looked truly terrified and like she was about to burst into tears. He offered her a small smile and she blinked a few times before giving him a tiny smile back. He didn't know what but something about her looked so familiar to him.

"Do you know your Mommy's phone number, honey?" The woman asked the girl. She shook her head and carried on chewing her fingers. Caleb thought it was stupid to ask a little child if they knew their parents phone number as he didn't even know his own.

Before she could say anything else a blonde woman came running up the street and straight over to them. She went straight to her knees and pulled the little blondie close. "I'm so sorry baby." She whispered kissing her head. "I thought you were behind me." The little girl clung onto her Mothers hand as she stood up and turned to the older woman. "Thank you so much." Hanna smiled guiltily.

"Don't worry. It happens to every parent at least once." She smiled back. "I should be going." She said then handing Caleb back his phone. Only then did Hanna look up at him and their eyes met again.

They stood staring at each other for a few seconds with Caleb's eyes flicking between Hanna and the little girl, trying to figure it out. The woman walked away and left Hanna still frozen to the ground. She tried to speak but no words were coming out of her mouth. Caleb wasn't supposed to find out about Scarlett like this.

"Mommy," Scarlett said, pulling Hanna's hand slightly. She peeled her eyes away from Caleb and looked down at her. "We're going to be late."

"Yeah... We should go." She muttered before leading Scarlett away. She closed her eyes and took a shaky breath before looking behind her.

Caleb was still stood there staring at them both. He knew. She quickly turned back around and walked faster round the corner with Scarlett.

Only when he couldn't see Hanna anymore did Caleb move. His whole body was paralysed as he waited for Hanna's explanation. When it didn't come, he realised she didn't need to give him one. He wasn't part of her life anymore and he had to accept that. She had moved on, not only was she engaged but had a child. What hurt him the most though was that her daughter couldn't be younger than four or five, which meant she hadn't waited long before finding someone else after he had left.

Now he knew what was so familiar with the little girl. She was Hanna's. Half Hanna, half someone else's.

He started walking to his car again, thinking about the conversations he had had with Hanna since he came back. He didn't know why she hadn't told him about her daughter yesterday morning. That must of been what Toby wanted to tell him but wouldn't. He still didn't get why she would hide it, though.

* * *

That evening Ashley came home from work to find Hanna sat at the kitchen table with her head in her hands and a glass of wine in front of her. She put her coat and bag on the side and walked over to her. "What's wrong honey?" She asked placing her hand on her shoulder.

Hanna looked up and let out a long sigh. "I think Caleb knows."

"Oh," Ashley sighed as well and took a seat opposite Hanna. "How?"

"He saw Scarlett." She gulped.

"When?"

"This morning when I was taking her to school and she was trailing behind me and I was on the phone to my boss and I turned around and she was gone." She explained.

Ashley suddenly grew concerned and looked around the kitchen. "Where is she now?"

"She's playing in the back." Hanna replied. "When I walked back around a corner she was stood with a woman and Caleb."

"What did you say to him?" Ashley asked.

"Nothing." Hanna said looking down at her hands. "I just panicked and walked away with Scarlett."

"Hanna," Ashley sighed. "You can't keep doing this. Caleb needs to know." She stressed.

Hanna didn't reply.

"I know it's hard but he's probably sat at home, confused as hell. You need to explain everything to him."

Hanna nodded and looked up. "I know." She muttered.

Before they could say anything else Scarlett came skipping in through the back doors, her cheeks and nose were slightly red from the cold wind outside. "Hi Grandma Ash." She grinned and ran up to Ashley jumping on her knee.

"Hi sweet pea, how was school?" She asked.

"Good." Scarlett mumbled. "We learnt how to write our names."

"What letter does yours start with?" Ashley asked.

Scarlett thought about it for a few seconds before replying. "S"

"Good. What's next?"

"C"

"Well done." She praised and was about the ask the next letter when Hanna stood up and grabbed her coat.

"Where are you going, Mommy?" Scarlett asked.

"I'm just going to talk to my friend, I won't be long." She replied looking up at her Mother who gave her a small smile and a nob.

"Be good for grandma." Hanna said kissing Scarlett's head before walking to the door. But before she could open it there was a knock from behind it. She had a feeling who it might be and took a deep breath before opening it. But she was wrong.

"Jordan," She smiled suprised. "What are you doing here, I thought the magazine was printing tomorrow?"

He stepped in the door and pulled her in for a hug. "We finished it early so I wanted to surprise you."

Hanna let out a long sigh she didn't know she had been holding in. She had thought that Caleb was the one knocking and that she would have to face him. Instead she stepped closer to Jordan as he wrapped his arms around her.

"How are you?" He asked leaning forward to kiss her.

"I'm better now that your here." She replied.

"Why, what's been happening?" He asked.

"A lot." She sighed. She didn't want to tell Jordan about Caleb but she knew she had to. When she first started dating him he had accepted Scarlett and treated her well. He was part of her life and deserved to know that Caleb was back. They were interrupted when Scarlett came skipping into the hall. "Hi Jordan." She smiled walking up to Hanna.

"Hey Scar." He smiled back.

Ashley soon followed Scarlett. "Hi Jordan, I didn't know you were coming?" She smiled.

"I'm just here for one night, I have to go back to New York tomorrow." He explained stepping to the side of Hanna.

Ashley nodded and smiled at them both. "I'll start some dinner then."

Jordan turned to Hanna and noticed she had her coat on. "We're you about to go out?" He asked.

"No." She replied quickly.

Ashley turned around and raised her eyebrows at her daughter. Hanna just looked down at Scarlett and guided her into the living room. She made a silent promise to herself to tell Caleb everything tomorrow.

* * *

 **I hope you liked it and you got to meet Scarlett.** **Pll. asked if I could give previews to reviewers. I know some authors do it but I don't know if I will. Let me know if you want me to?**

 **Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter. Xxxxx**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"So you see why I have to tell Caleb?" Hanna's asked her fiance as she stood in front og him in the hallway the next morining after having expalined everything the previous night.

"Of course I do, it wouldn't be fair to keep it from him." Jordan smiled and Hanna was glad he was so understanding. "Do you want me to come with you?"

"No, I should be the one to tell him." She replied. "Just me."

"When will you talk to him?"

Hanna sighed and bit her nail. "I'll go after work, my mom can pick Scarlett up from school."

Jordan nodded as he oulled on his coat and picked up his bag. "I'm gonna miss you."

"Me too." Hanna smiled, fiddling with the ring on her finger.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you yesterday, my uncle says we can have the Hampton's for the wedding." Jordan told her with an excited smile as she nodded hesitantly in reply. "I'm not rushing you." He added coming closer. "But we've got to start the planning somewhere."

Hanna looked up and flashed him a smile. "I know." Their wedding had been the last thing on her mind the past week and she felt bad for not putting in more of an effort.

"I've got to go now but call me later, after you've talked to Caleb." He kissed her cheek before walking to the door.

"I will." She replied watching him leave before she turned to the stairs and called for Scarlett. "Hurry up Scar or we'll be late again."

* * *

Hanna took a deep breath and brought her hand up to the door of apartment four. It was late evening now and she had done everything possible to try and stall coming here, but in the end she knew that she couldn't put it off any longer.

The thing she dreaded the most was Caleb's reaction. She knew him better than anyone and knew how his mind worked so she knew he wasn't going to take it take it well. Who would? But Caleb had a bad temper and what she was about to tell him wouldn't be taken with a shrug. When they were younger he didn't loose control often and would never get angry towards her but when he did loose his temper someone would get a mouthful or even a fist in the jaw. The fact that he never got really angry at her eased her nerves a little and that was the only reason she hadn't made a run for it.

She raised her hand and knocked on the door twice, waiting a few seconds before Caleb opened it. He looked confused at first but quickly gave her a smile. "Can I come in?" She asked, nervously.

Caleb stepped aside and she walked in and glanced around the apartment she had spent a lot of time when she was younger; it looked practically the same. "Are you okay?" Caleb asked. It only took a few seconds for him to figure out that she was nervous about something. The way picked at her nails and bit her lips was all too familiar to him.

"I'm sorry I walked away the other day without explaining." She said, finally looking at him. Caleb just furrowed his eyes brows in confusion as she took another deep breath. "I owe you an explanation."

"You don't owe me anything Hanna."

She looked up even more confused than him. "What do you mean?" As far as she knew Caleb had seen her with Scarlett and knew that she was her daughter, which meant that he had probably put two and two together and realised that he was her father.

"You don't owe me anything. You have a fiancé and a daughter now so you should just forget that I ever came back here." He replied, his stomach turning at the words fiance.

"No Caleb, you don't understand." She realised now that he had thought Jordan was Scarlett's father.

"Hanna, it's fine." He really didn't want to be having a conversation with her about how she had moved on. If he couldn't be with her then he would rather not have to see or hear about her life with someone else.

"That's your daughter." Hanna's brain shut down and she let her lips take over, unable to keep the secret she had held in for so many years any longer.

His face dropped a mile and he just started at her for what felt like ten minutes. "What?" His voice was barley a whisper.

"We have a daughter." She replied, her voice quiet as she looked at him and waited for a response.

He scoffed and shook his head in disbelief. "No... How?"

"When we broke up in New York, I was pregnant." She explained in a shaky voice.

Caleb ran a hand through his hair as he procesed everything in his head. Her daughter looked about five, which meant the dates would match. It would explain why Hanna had ran off yesterday and why she hadn't let him in the house when he went to give her back her phone. "Wait, you knew you were pregnant with my baby when you walked out?"

"No!" She stepped closer to him as pain and betrayal filled his expression. "No, I didnt know."

He finally looked back at her and it only took one glance to see she was telling the absolute truth. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" His voice was harsh and bitter.

"I had no way to contact you- you left your phone behind in New York remember." She explained. "I tried everyone, your Mom, your Dad, I tried everything I could Caleb."

 _... "Hi Jamie, have you herd anything from Caleb?" Hanna asked down the phone as she ran a hand over her baby bump._

 _"Not since you last called, sorry."_ _She sniffled and looked down, messing with the hem of her oversized top. "Have you tried his mother?" Jamie asked._

 _"Yeah, she hasn't heard anything either." She replied._

 _"Do you want me to pass on a message if I see him?" The older man asked._

 _Hanna shook he head although he couldnt see her. "It's fine." She told him her hand stil resting on her stomach, protectively. "Just get him to call me."_

 _"Im sure he'll be in contact soon and if I hear anything I'll tell you straight away."_

 _"Thanks Jamie." She replied before hanging up and setting her phone down on the arm of the sofa as her mother walked in and placed a hand on her shoulder._

 _"Anything?"_ _Hanna shook her head and a tear ran down her cheek. Ashley sighed looked down at Hanna's ever growing belly. "Hanna, you only have a month left until the baby comes and you need to rest and be as stress free as possible, maybe you should take a break from trying to contact Caleb."_

 _Hanna shook her head and placed her hand on top of her belly where she could feel her baby girls kicks. "I can't rest or be stress free until I tell him." She cried. "He needs to know." ..._

Caleb shook his head and clenched his fists. "I've been back in Rosewood for a week now, why didn't you tell me I had a daughter?" He demanded, raising his voice.

Hanna didn't reply.

"We've talked three times before this. Why didn't you tell me when I came to your doorstep or at the Brew?" He shouted. "Why Hanna!"

She flinched slightly and looked down as a single tear ran down her cheek. "I don't know." She muttered.

"Fuck." Caleb let out a frustrated growl, glancing back at her one last time before he stormed out of his apartment.

Hanna was left alone in his apartment as she wiped the tears that fell from her eyes. She couldnt be mad at Caleb's reaction because he was right. She had plenty of chances to tell him since he came back and if she hadn't have bumped intohis yesterday with Scarlett then she probaly would have put it off even more. But the one thing she couldn't help the fact that he hadn't left her any way to contact him six years ago. It wasnt his fault for leaving but if he had left some way for her to contact him the things would definetly be different.

She pulled herself together and left his apartment, leaving the door on the latch so he could get back in.

Caleb had walked out of the apartment before he really lost it. He didn't mean to shout at Hanna but he didn't know how to keep a cool head after being told he had a daughter.

He had a daughter with Hanna.

A daughter who didn't know who her father was. He knew what that felt and wouldn't wish it upon anyone, especially his own child. Although she had a mother who he was sure loved her to pieces.

The cool evening air hit him as he stepped outside of his apartment block. All of his thoughts were buzzing around his head like a swarm of wasps and he couldn't think straight. Most of them were about the little blondie Hanna had been with yesterday. When he looked at her he knew there was something familiar about her deep brown eyes but at the time he just though it was because she had the same dimples and smile as Hanna, but know he knew it was because she was his. Half Hanna, half him.

He stepped into the corner shop by his apartment sne bought a bottle of vodka and another packet of cigarettes before stepping back out side and sitting on a bench.

He lit a cigarette as he sat there and took a long drag; the smoke filling his lungs and relaxing his body. Then he opened the bottle of vodka and took a large gulp, not craing about where he was or how it look. It stung his throat as he swallowed but relieved the buzzing in his head, which was all he wanted.

* * *

As soon as Hanna stepped through the front door of her Mothers house she burst into tears and slumped down onto the sofa. Her hands cupped her head as she let out a muffled sob and replayed the look Caleb had given her before he walked out. She wanted to explain to him that it wasn't her fault he didnt know Scarlett but he hadnt given her a chance to. He had left before she could tell him all about their beautiful little girl that was a product of the love they once shared for each other.

"Mommy?" A quiet voice interupted her tears as she looked up to see Scarlett shuffling overto her, dressed in her pink pyjamas. "Why are you sad?"

Hanna wiped her eyes and held out her arms for her baby girl. Scarlett climbed onto her knee and settled her head into her Mothers neck, playing with a piece of Hanna's blonde hair. Scarlett was so innocent in all of this yet it would effect her the most. Hanna presses a kiss to her forehead and pulled her closer as she closed her eyes and breathed in her sweet strawberry scent.

The sound of her phone ringing pullled her attention away from Scarlett and to Jordan's picture on the screen. She threw it back into her bag and cuddled back up with Scarlett. She knew Jordan would be worried but he was the last thing on her mind right now. All she wanted to do was hold her little girl close. "I love you so much, Baby, never forget that." She felt Scarlett smile against herneck as she let out a tired yawn.

"Love you too, Mommy."

* * *

 **I know its not very long but a lot happened and I hope your not too disappointed with Caleb's reaction because some of you said you didn't want him to get angry at Hanna but with Caleb's child hood I don't think he would take it well at first. Also I hope you liked the mini flashback, I think I'll put some more in from when Scarlett was a baby in the next few chapters.**

 **Also I sent people who reviewed previews of this chapter last time and you said you liked the idea and wanted me to carry on so I will. Xxx**


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning Caleb woke up with a pounding headache, lying on top of his bed still dressed in his clothes from yesterday. The last thing he remembered was sitting on the bench outside with a bottle of vodka and wondered how he had managed to get him self back to his apartment. He sat up and looked around trying to remember what had happened last night. He eyes trailed over his apartment until he spotted the cardboard box in the corner and everything came flooding back.

Hanna. Her daughter. His daughter. Everything.

He had missed so much of her life already. He wasn't there when Hanna found out she was pregnant and at every scan she went to. He missed his daughter's birth and what it felt like to hold her for the first time. He missed every smile she gave, every word she said and every step she took. All because he didn't know.

He had gotten so angry last night and he regretted it now. He saw the way Hanna flinched when he shouted and was mad at himself for making her scared but he lost his self control. All of his life he had promised himself that if he ever became a Father, he would always be there for his child. That they wouldn't have to feel what he felt being all alone and now he had broken that promise without even knowing it.

The more he thought about her the more he wanted to get to know his daughter, and he knew that after yesterday there was no way Hanna was going to let him see her so he knew he had to make things right. He rubbed his eyes one last time and picked up his phone, to appologies to Hanna and hopefully find out more about their little blondie. He realised he didn't have Hanna's number so sent a quick text to Toby before hopping in the shower to freshen up. When he stepped out of the shower Toby so he added Hanna's number to his contacts and texted her.

 _'I'm sorry about yesterday. Can we please meet somewhere, we really need to talk? -Caleb.'_

It didn't take long for a reply.

 _'OK. The Brew in an hour.'_

Caleb let out a small smile as he started to pull on some clothes, thankful that Hanna was giving him another chance.

* * *

An hour later Caleb entered the Brew to find Hanna already sat at a table, staring down at her coffee again like this first time they talked in here last week. She looked up when she saw him coming and he slipped into the seat opposite. "Hi." She mumbled, nervously.

"Thanks for coming." He said giving her a small smile. "I'm sorry about yesterday, I didn't mean to shout at you I just-"

"It's fine, I get it." She cut him off. "What did you want to talk about?"

"About..." Caleb had to stop when he realised he didn't even know his daughters name. "Our daughter." He quickly added, pushing down the rising feeling of guilt that came with not knowing what their little blondie was called.

"Scarlett." Hanna answered his unspoken question.

"Scarlett." He repeated smiling like an idiot. He liked the name and it suited the little blondie well.

"Scarlett Ashley Marin." Hanna said quickly wiping the smile of his face.

"Do you have a picture of her?" He asked, wanting to look at Scarlett knowing that he was her father.

Hanna pulled her phone out of her bag and opened up her camera roll before she pressed the latest photo she had taken of Scarlett and passed her phone to Caleb. She was one of the prettiest things he'd ever seen in his life; he had Hanna's blonde hair and dimples but his eyes. His big brown eyes. He couldn't wipe the smile off his face as he looked at his little girl properly for the first time.

"She looks like you a lot." Hanna said with a small smile. "She has your eyes and skin tone and when she laughs her eyes wrinkle up like yours do." She lost herself for a minute staring at Caleb's face and comparing how much they really did look alike.

Caleb didn't really know where to start so asked the first question that came into his head. "How long after I left did you find out you were pregnant?"

Hanna gulped thinking back to that time when she was on her own in New York. The morning sickness was the first symptom. For the first few days she thought it was the grief of Caleb leaving and the fact that she hadn't eaten properly but she soon found out it was more than that. "About two weeks. I was three months along."

"Three months?" Caleb asked, not knowing how she hadn't noticed sooner.

She nodded and looked down. "I guess I was so busy working that I didn't even notice I was pregnant."

"Was everything okay with the pregnancy?"

"Everything was fine." She nodded, smiling at his concern.

"When was Scarlett born?" He asked.

"The seventh of August." Hanna replied. "She's a summer baby."

"So, what's she like?" It felt so wrong to ask. He shouldn't have to ask what his own daughter was like, he should know.

"She's a girly girl. She loves anything pink and sparkly." Hanna grinned and Caleb didn't expect anything different. "She's sweet and bubbly and cheeky too sometimes, I think she gets that from you as well."

Caleb let out a small laugh and matched Hanna's grin as their eyes crossed for a few seconds; both of them noticing how the other ones face lit up talking little Scarlett.

Caleb hated to make the subject so serious again but he knew he had to. "Look Hanna, I've missed so much of her life already and I don't want to miss anymore." He started, looking up into her eyes knowing it was going to be hard to pursuade her. "I want to meet Scarlett."

Hanna looked at him and shook her head, having know he would have asked this. She had lay awake all night, tossing and turning, afraid that Caleb was going to take Scarlett away from her. "Caleb you can't just jump straight into her life and say your her Dad. She has no idea who you are." She sighed. "She's five years old, she won't understand if your here one minute and gone the next. She needs stability in her life and that's what she has."

"But she's still my daughter. I want to help bring her up and do everything I should do with her." He pleaded.

"You only just moved back here, what if you leave again?"

"I'm not going anywhere, Hanna."

"Ill think about it." She replied, stubbornly.

"Please." He begged.

Hanna had to look down knowing she would give in if she looked into his eyes. "I know what it's like to have a father that isn't there all the time and I'm not going to put Scarlett through that."

He let out a frustrated sigh and rubbed his face. He should have known she wasn't going to give. "Well I know what it's like to not know who your parents are and it's so much worse." He said before standing up and walking out of the Brew. There wasn't any anger in his voice, it was just filled with hurt.

Hanna sighed and picked up her coat. Had she done the right thing not letting Caleb see Scarlett? All she wanted to do was protect her daughter and make sure she didn't get hurt. Caleb didn't have the best track record of staying around for anything that wasn't her and she wondered if he would be the same with Scarlett. Maybe if she waited and he proved that he was going to stick around then she would reconsider.

She started walking to The Radley after she paid for her coffee. She walked through the glass doors and found her Mom sat behind the desk. "Can I borrow your car to take Scarlett to her ballet class?" She asked.

"Yeah," Ashley replied pulling her keys out from under her desk. "Why didn't you take them this morning?"

"I forgot." Hanna shrugged.

Ashley could tell that something was playing on her mind again. "What did Caleb say?" She asked cautiously.

"He asked some stuff about Scar and then he said he wanted to meet her." She explained. "But I told him he can't." Her eyes trailed down at the last part.

Ashley sighed, her daugheter was one of the most stubborn people she knew and if she thought that keeping Caleb out of Scarlett's life was what's best then she wasn't going to change her mind easily. In all honesty she thought that Hanna should at least give Caleb a chance, just to meet his daughter and then see what happens from there. "Was he still angry?" She asked.

Hanna shook her head. "He seemed quite calm until the end and then he walked out but he didn't start shouting at me again."

"Don't you think he deserves a chance?" Ashley asked, aprehensivley.

Hanna looked down again and picked up the car keys and ignoring her mothers comment. "I've got to pick Scar up."

* * *

"Mommy, your doing it wrong." Scarlett whined as Hanna was supposed to be helping her change into her tutu but instead found herself staring into space. She pulled out of her deep thought and realised that Scarlett's leotard was on backwards and helped her step out of it before turning it the right way.

"Be good and listen to the teacher." Hanna told Scarletts as she kissed her head and stood up.

"I thought you were staying?" Scarlett asked.

"Of course I am, baby." She smiled again watching as she skipped off with her friends into the dance room.

Hanna bought a bottle of water and took a seat in the watching area. The other moms were running about getting everyone to put their name down and help with something for the Christmas show in two months so she quickly put her name down to help with the costumes. At first she was hesitant about Scarlett joining the ballet class because they were going back to New York after Christmas. She had started school and Hanna didn't want another thing that she would have to leave behind here but Scarlett had begged for weeks and after explaining that they she wouldn't be in the classes long, Hanna gave in. She was happy she did though because she could tell from the way her face lit up every time she wore her tutu that Scarlett loved it.

She heard her phone buzzing from inside her bag and pulled it out to see Hordans picture on the screen again. She had ignored his calls last night and meant to call him today but had completely forgotten about him as she talked to Caleb. "Hi Jordan."

"Are you okay? Why haven't you been answering me?" He asked his voice full of concern.

"I'm sorry, I meant to call you back this morning but I forgot and last night I fell asleep as soon as I came back from Caleb's." She lied, not wanting him to know about her meltdown last night.

"Okay," He sighed. "I was worried, that's all."

"I know and I should have called you, I'm sorry." She apologised.

"So how did it go with Caleb?" He asked.

"I'm at ballet with Scar, can I call you back tonight and we can talk properly?" She said looking behind her where a group of Moms were sat. She really didn't want to tell him everything when all the Dance Moms were sat listening in.

"Course you can. Talk later, I love you."

"Will do." She replied before hanging up and thankful again that Jordan was always so understanding with her situation.

Hanna looked back at Scarlett again who was giggling at the back with her friend, Freya as they were stuck their tongues out at each other behind the teachers back. Scarlett burst out laughing and threw her head back and Hanna couldn't help but noticed how much she looked like Caleb when she laughed. She was the most precious person in her life and she couldn't loose her. She was afriad that letting Caleb into Scarlett's life would cause Scarlett to resent her or choose Caleb over her and she couldn't let that happen. She knew it was selfish but Scarlett was everything to her. She loved her more than life itself and wasn't about to loose her little girl.

* * *

Caleb sat on the sofa in his apartment with a cigarette in one hand and a glass of whiskey in the other. He downed the last of his whiskey before taking a long drag from his cigarette and blowing out the smoke. He couldnt get the picture of Scarlett, Hanna had shown him out of his head. She was perfect. Her beautiful eyes shone brightly as a smile lit up her face. He wanted to hear her sweet little giggle and hear her silky voice as she laughed.

He understood why Hanna wasn't letting him see her but it didnt stop it the aching in his heart to meet his little girl.

Six years ago he had made the biggest mistake of his life when he left New York. The minute he had taken his seat on the plane next to the empty one Hanna was supposed to sit in, he had regretted it. But he couldn't go back. Hanna had already made her decision and decided that she didn't want to be with him any more. She wanted to focus on her career and who was he to hold her back and tell her she couldn't. So he left. Left New York, Hanna and his baby girl.

Silent tears fell down his cheeks as he took another drag. All he wanted to do was get to know Scarlett and be the Father he never had to her. He wanted to play with her and laugh along with her and tell her how much he loved her.

* * *

 **Im glad you liked the flashbacks last chapter, I'll put some more in a few chapters because I think they really help you get a feel of what it was like for Hanna on her own. And I'm glad you understood Calebs reaction to finding out about Scarlett.**

 **Caitlyn - some new Haleb stories Im reading at the minute are neighbours by hellohaleb, The ties that bind us by AshleyFan1999 and signs by silenceeeverything. Hope that helped you xxx**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: I wasn't really planning on posting today but it looks like I am...**

 **Boris Yeltsing- Uber A or whatever you want to call them isn't in this story and I don't think the other girls will be much if at all. I am going to have some of the characters in it though like Toby, Yvonne and Im thinking Lucas might make an appearance eventually.**

"What up with you, man? You've been here half an hour and barley said a word." Toby asked looking over at Caleb who was furiously pounding nails into a wooden frame.

"Huh?" Caleb muttered looking up. He had arrived at Toby's with a pack of beer and offered to help him with the house he was building. Toby had declined the beer as it was eleven in the morning but Caleb was now on his second. "Nothing."

He had all the intentions of talking to Toby about everything to do with Scarlett but when he had arrived he remembered the last conversation they had and he had a feeling that Toby already knew.

"It's not nothing." Toby sighed. Caleb was worked up about something and he had an idea what it could be.

Caleb didn't respond. He just kept his focus on the nail he was hammering. "Is everything okay?" Toby asked, trying to encourage it out of him.

"I'm fine." He muttered, still not looking up. He wanted Toby to come out and say something about Scarlett or just shut up and let him take his anger out on the piece of wood.

"Fine is not turning up stinking of alcohol, hungover and with a pack of beer before dinner time." Toby insisted. "What is going on with you?"

"You fucking know what's going on with me!" Caleb snapped throwing the hammer onto the table next to him and stepping closer towards Toby. "Everyone fucking knows except me."

"You know about Scarlett?" Toby asked, although the the answer the obvious.

"Yeah." He answered quietly, looking down. "Why didn't you tell me the minute I got back?" He asked them looking up at Toby again.

He couldnt tell if Caleb was more angry or upset. "It wasn't my place to tell you. And even if I had you would've been more pissed hearing it from me than Hanna."

"How long have you known?" Caleb asked.

"I was still with Spencer when Hanna found out she was pregnant. She got us all to try and find you Caleb, but it was no good." He explained.

Caleb shook his head and sat down on the wooden steps and pulled out a cigarette before lighting it. He knew it wasn't Toby's place to tell him and none of this was his fault but he was just so angry. Angry at himself, angry at Hanna, angry at the whole situation.

"What did Hanna say? Are you going to see Scarlett?" Toby asked, setting down the drill in his hand and sitting down next to Caleb.

"She won't let me." He muttered looking down and taking a long drag of his cigarette.

"Why not?"

"She thinks I'm going to leave again or something. That I won't be there for Scarlett." He replied, still staring at the ground as a trail of smoke left his lips.

"She can't do that Caleb. You have the same rights, your her parent too."

"I don't though. Scarlett has no idea who I am and I had no idea I had a kid until a few days ago."

"Can't you get a lawyer or something?"

He shrugged.

"I can talk to Hanna if you want? She might listen to me." Toby offered.

Caleb shook his head as the door of the silver RV opened and a woman with long dark hair and tanned skin stepped out and closed the door behind her. Toby instantly stood up and walked over to her. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and brought her closer. "This is my girlfriend Yvonne." Toby smiled as Caleb stood up.

"Caleb." He smiled briefly. Trying not to breathe any smoke into her face.

"Nice to meet you Caleb," She smiled back. "Toby's told me all about you." He nodded and looked back up at Toby who was smiling down at Yvonne lovingly. "I've got to run, my moms waiting for me." She said patting his chest.

"Yvonne's campaign manager for her mom. She's running for state senate." Toby explained proudly.

"It doesn't mean she cuts me any slack though." Yvonne laughed. "I'll see you tonight." She said leaning up to peck Toby's lips. "It was nice meeting you Caleb." She smiled then before walking down the drive.

Caleb watched Toby as a smile remained stuck to his face. "So that's who your building this house for, she seems nice." He said dropping his cigarette on the ground and stubbing it out with his foot.

"Yeah she is." Toby smiled picking his drill back up.

Caleb did the same with his hammer and they worked in silence for a few minutes until Caleb broke it. "Have you ever met Scarlett?" He asked.

"Yeah, lots of times. I'm actually her god father." He replied looking over at Caleb. "And Emily's her God mother." Caleb was glad that Hanna had picked two people who were reliable and would be there if she needed help. "She's a good kid, sweet and chatty and bubbly." Toby carried on. "And Hanna's a great mom."

"Yeah, I knew she would be." Caleb smiled sadly.

"That's why I don't get why she's not letting you see Scarlett. Your her dad, every little kid needs one."

"I know." Caleb sighed thinking about his own up bringing for a second.

"Look man, I'll talk to her and try and get her to come around." Toby offered.

"No, you don't have to." Caleb sighed. He didn't want to drag Toby into this mess.

"I want to." He smiled before looking at the time on his phone. "I have a shift in half an hour so I better get ready."

"Yeah, I should go." He nodded. "Thanks for everything."

Toby gave him a final nod before he started walking down the driveway back to his car. Caleb whas a mess, anyone could see it and the only way to fix it was to talk to Hanna.

—–—–

"See you tomorrow, officer Cavanugh. Have a good evening."

"You too boss." Toby said closing the door to the police station behind him and walking out into the cold afternoon air.

His shift had finished and now he was heading to Hanna's to talk to her about Caleb. He thought that if she saw the situation from a different perspective she might change her mind. He walked down the steps to his car but stopped when he saw Hanna kneeling down in front of Scarlett, across the road.

"You need to keep your coat zipped up or you'll be cold." He heard Hanna say to Scarlett as she stood back up again. She turned around and smiled when she saw him walking towards them.

"Hi Toby." Scarlett called taking her mothers hand.

"Hey Scar, are you being good?" He asked.

"I'm always good." She giggled.

Hanna raised her eyebrows at her and turned back to Toby. "Have you finished your work now?"

"Yeah, not much happened though. I miss all the drama you and the girls brought." He replied.

"I don't." She remarked. "How's Yvonne?"

"She's good, struggling to survive in the tiny RV." He laughed.

"It will be worth it when the house is finished." She replied.

"Look Hanna, I wanted to talk to you about Caleb." Toby said quietly, his eyes wandering down to Scarlett. Hanna tensed up at the mention of Caleb's name but nodded reluctantly. "I've been speaking to him and he told me everything about Scarlett. Hanna he's desperate to meet her." He sighed.

She nodded and looked down slightly.

"She's his daughter and it's killing him that he can't get to know her." His voice was quiet in case Scarlett heard but he doubted she would as she was staring messing with the zip on her coat, trying to get it undone again.

Hanna didn't know how to reply. She knew everything that Toby was telling her. Caleb had already said it himself.

"He's not taking it well either. He's started drinking a lot again and he just looks like a mess." Toby admitted. "Its like when he came back from Ravenswood all them years ago. No one could help him except you." Hanna looked down at the floor. Making Caleb drink again was the last thing she wanted to do.

"This is different Toby." She sighed. "Its not about me and him this time its about Scarlett."

"I know, I know." He nodded his head. "Just please think about it Hanna. It's not fair on either of them." He said looking down at Scarlett again.

"Mommy, hurry up." Scarlett whined pulling at the sleeve of Hanna's coat.

"I will." She replied to Toby before smiling briefly and walking down the street. Honestly, she hadn't been able to stop thinking about it. She regretted being so stubborn with Caleb and the hurt was so obvious in his eyes when she told him he couldn't see Scarlett and she felt guilty and responsible now that he had started drinking again. But then she would always think about Scarlett and her cute, innocent smile. A lot was going to change if Caleb was going to be introduced.

—–—–

Later that evening Hanna found herself stood outside the door to Caleb's apartment again. After speaking to Toby she hadn't been able to rid herself of the guilt she felt. She knocked on the door and waited for it to open, which it did a few seconds later to reveal a confused looking Caleb. "Can I come in?"

He nodded and opened the door wider. His eyes wondered to the shoe box in her hand as she walked inside. "Toby talked to me earlier." She began, unsure of how she was going to word everything she wanted to say and if she really wanted to say it. Caleb nodded and stood in front of her. He scanned her face trying to find out what her intentions were.

"I brought you this." She said handing him the shoe box. Caleb lifted the lid to find it stuffed full of photos. He looked closer and realised they were all of Scarlett, some from when she was a tiny baby and some more recent. He sat down on the sofa and picked up one of the photos and turned it over to reveal a black and white baby scan.

Hanna took a seat next to him and looked around the apartment. It was messy and she could see two empty bottles of vodka on the side and some empty beer cans. She guessed they were from the previous day as Caleb clearly wasn't drunk right now. Then she looked back at Caleb, he was still staring at the scan and his eyes had glasses over slightly.

"I-I thought you might like to look at them." She said nodding towards the box on his knee. "I kept everything, all the scans and photos of her, from when she was born."

Caleb put the photo of the scan down and picked up another one. This time it was a baby Scarlett wrapped up in a pink blanket and fast asleep. "Why are you doing this?" He asked, finally looking at her. If she wasn't letting him meet his daughter then why give him photos of her and memories he couldn't be apart of. Why make him suffer more?

"I thought-" Her voice broke halfway through and tears threatened to fall. She cleared her throat and tried again. "I thought about what you said and what Toby said and I realised that I was being really selfish. I shouldn't have been so quick to shut you down about getting to know Scarlett, so I'm sorry."

Caleb didn't replied, he just carried on scanning her facial expression. "I thought that bringing you into Scarlett's life now would confuse her." Her voice broke again at the end of her sentence and she had to quickly wipe away a tear that had shed. "And I thought that maybe she might hate me or she might choose you over me and I don't want to loose her. She's the most important person in my life, I love her so much."

"She couldn't never hate you." He tried. "And I'm not going to take her away from you Hanna, I wouldn't do that." Caleb felt bad for her tears. "But I can't go back to normal knowing I have a daughter." Hanna nodded and looked down at the photo of Scarlett in Caleb's hand. "She probably thinks that her dad doesn't love her and care about her." Caleb whispered looking down at the photo as well. "But I do, so much."

Hanna wiped away another tear. Caleb had such a big heart and she didn't expect anything less than what he was saying but she still had doubts. Caleb shifted around so he was facing Hanna, his hands still gripping the photo of his Scarlett. Part of him wanted to comfort her but the other part was still angry at her. "Hanna, I promise with all my heart that you will not loose her. Your her mom and nothing's more important than that. Not me, not anything."

Hanna nodded and composed herself. She wiped her eyes and took a breath. She trusted Caleb, he had never broken a promise before. She looked back at him and felt bad that she had turned this into her insecurities when it was supposed to be about him and Scarlett. He opened him mouth and she knew what was coming next.

"That doesn't mean that I don't want to get to know her. I've missed so much if her life already and I don't want to miss anymore."

She lost herself in his dark eyes for a few seconds, contemplating everything he had said. She believed him, every word. "Please." He begged one more time.

Hanna took another deep breath and made a quick decision. She stood up abruptly. "On Friday at four o'clock, come to my moms for dinner and you can meet Scarlett."

He stood up and took a step towards her. "Thank you." Caleb smiled great fully.

"But we have to take things slow." She added. "Everything has to be Scarlett's choice, I'm not going to force her into anything."

"I get it." Caleb smiled again. Hanna smiled back and made her way to the door but turned back at last minute and looked at the shoe box.

"Do you want it back?" Caleb asked disappointed. He wanted a proper chance to look through every photo.

She shook her head. "Look after it."

"I will."

With that she was gone and Caleb was on his own again. He walked over to the fridge and started to pull out a beer but then glanced back at the shoe box. He put the beer back in the fridge deciding to start to clean up his act for his daughter.

Sitting back on the sofa he picked up the next photo in the box. It was of Hanna asleep on the sofa with a tiny baby Scarlett sleeping in her arms. His heart broke when he saw the photo of the two of them together without him. He should have been there, sat next to Hanna with his arm wrapped around them both keeping them safe. But he wasn't and it wasn't his fault, they still hadn't established who was at fault in all of this. He wasn't going to think like that though, Hanna had given him a chance, finally.

 **AN: Tell me what you think and I hope your glad Hanna is letting Scarlett and Caleb meet. We'll see their dinner in the next chapter and Caleb and Ashley will have a little talk. Xxxxx**


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Another quick update again. Enjoy xx**

To say he was nervous was an understatement. Caleb was beyond nervous. As he stood outside the Marin's home waiting for the door to be answered his foot was bouncing and he had to force himself to take a deep breath.

He had walked from his apartment, stopping off at Lucky Leon's to buy Scarlett some cupcakes. He thought it would be rude to turn up empty handed and he wanted to make a good impression. The last time he had smoked a cigarette was at twelve o'clock because he didn't want to remotely smell of smoke or cigarettes and put his cravings to the back of his mind. Today was going to be perfect with no bad impressions at all.

The door opened and Ashley stood behind it. "Hello Caleb."

"Hi," He breathed. "I'm here to-"

"I know why your here." She gave him a warm smile. "Come in."

He stepped inside and looked around at the familiar surroundings. The house look pretty much the same, except now there were pictures of Scarlett dotted around. Ashley lead him through to the kitchen and he noticed that the picture she had on the side table of him and Hanna when they were younger was gone. It was like all memories that he had ever stepped foot in this house had disappeared.

"Hanna's picking Scarlett up from school but she's running a little late as always." Ashley explained, chuckling slightly.

She walked over to the island where she was preparing what looked like a salad. "I'm making Spaghetti Bolognese for dinner, it's Scarlett's favourite." Caleb let out a small smile at that comment. "And yours too if I remember correctly?" He nodded. Ashley had always been an amazing cook although she raley had time to make a proper meal when she worked for the bank.

He cleared his throat and put the cupcakes on the side. "I brought some cakes for Scarlett." He said nervously. He didn't even know if she liked cake, for all knew she could be allergic to them.

Ashley took them from him and peeped inside. "Chocolate's her favourite." She smiled putting them in the fridge for later.

She returned to chopping some tomatoes and Caleb thought he should say something. "Thank you, for letting me have dinner here."

She threw some lettuce into the salad bowl and smiled at him. "You don't need to thank me Caleb, this is as much your home as it is mine. In fact I think there's still one of your old beanies stuffed in the dresser." She laughed, breaking the ice.

Caleb laughed too, maybe not all memories of him were gone. "I actually- I left it for you in case you ever wanted to clean your chimney flu or something." All of his nerves left him for a few seconds whilst they laughed.

"No really," Ashley said in a more serious tone. "Your always welcome here. You were like family to me and Hanna and now I guess you are family."

He felt the same. He had always thought of Ashley as a mother figure for him, maybe even more than his own mother. Not only did he loose Hanna six years ago but he lost Ashley too. His eyes wondered around the kitchen to the glass doors. The sun was shining although it was cold outside being early November. Right now he was desperate for a cigarette or anything to calm his nerves. This was the longest he'd gone with out smoking in years and it was only a few hours.

"Not thinking of making a run for it, are you?" Ashley asked noticing him stare at the doors.

He whipped his head around and shook it. "No I- no."

"Hanna shouldn't be too long now." Caleb nodded and took a deep breath. His palms were all sweaty and he rubbed them on his jeans.

The thing he was worried about the most was the fact that he didn't know what to do or say to Scarlett. There was so much he wanted to tell her but it would be intense the first time they met. That conversation was probably best when she was a lot older and able to understand why he wasn't around when she was younger.

He had never really been around children much as an adult. James and Clay had only been a few years older than Scarlett when he met them for the first time but that was so different. They were his brothers; Scarlett was his child.

Ashley could see straight through his head and into all his thoughts just through his facial expressions. "I know this must be hard for you, Caleb." She began, gaining his attention again. "I can't imagine what it's like."

Caleb lowered his gaze slightly. He knew exactly what it was like. To be the adult in this situation and the child.

"Me and Hanna both want you to be apart of Scarlett's life. I know she doesn't always show it but sometimes she just needs a shove in the right direction. She just wants what's best for Scarlett and doesn't want her to get hurt." Ashley explained.

"I'm not going to hurt her." Caleb replied.

"I know your not and so does Hanna. That why your stood here." She smiled but the sound of the front door opening caught her attention.

"Take your school bag upstairs, baby." Hanna instructed. Scarlett picked it up and started up the stairs.

"How long until Caleb gets here?" Hanna asked as she started walking into the kitchen to her mother.

Ashley didn't reply until Hanna looked up and spotted Caleb stood at the island. "Oh, sorry I'm late I had to stop by the shop to make sure everything was okay for my boss."

"It's fine." He replied.

Hanna walked around to stand next to Caleb. "Are you ready to meet her?" She asked.

Caleb nodded. He was finally meeting his daughter. Finally having the chance to get to know her and be her dad.

"When she comes down, I'll just say your a friend or something." Hanna started. "She should be completely comfortable with you before we tell her that-" But she was cut off my Scarlett skipping into the kitchen.

"Hey baby." She smiled lifting her into the counter. She swung her legs and looked around the kitchen spotting Caleb.

"Who's that?"

"This is my friend Caleb." Hanna explained. "He's going to be having some dinner with us."

"Hi Caleb." Scarlett giggled.

"Hi." Caleb smiled back. She was so beautiful. Her laugh was like music to his ears and calmed all his nerves. All the worries and distraction in his head were gone.

"What are you laughing at missy?" Hanna asked moving a piece of Scarlett's golden hair away from her face.

"Caleb's a funny name." She giggled again.

He let out a small laugh and looked up at Hanna who was smiling at him. A kind, warm, genuine smile. All of the awkwardness between them had disappeared the moment Scarlett stepped in the room. He gave her a small smile back and turned to Scarlett. "I brought you some chocolate cakes for later."

"Really?" She gasped. "Chocolate cakes are my favourite but mommy only lets me have them on special days." She turned to Hanna. "Can I have one today? Pleeeease?"

"You can have one after your dinner." She replied.

"Can I have one now?" Hanna shook her head.

"You don't want to spoil your dinner, do you? It's spaghetti." Ashley chipped in as she dished it onto the plates.

"Spaghetti's my favourite too." She grinned.

"I know and it's nearly ready so you should all sit down." Ashley said. Hanna lifted Scarlett off the counter and out her on the floor. They walked over to the table and sat down but Caleb noticed there was only three places set out. He turned back to Ashley and looked at her quizzically.

"I don't want to intrude." She explained. "I'll eat in the living room."

"You don't have to." Caleb replied. He wanted didn't want Ashley to think he was trying push her out because that was the last thing he wanted. She had helped to set this up so he wanted her there for moral support.

She looked at him for a few second debating whether she should sit with them. "Please?" Caleb asked quietly. She nodded and have him a smile. She knew Caleb needed all the support he could get. They all sat down and tucked into their dinner. Caleb wasn't surprised to see Ashley's cooking skills hadn't changed one bit.

"So Caleb, where do you work now?" Ashley asked, breaking the silence and making conversation.

"At Hollis. I'm the tech guy there I guess." He replied.

"How long are your hours?"

"They're the same as the student so I finish about three."

"That's good."

He nodded and took another bite of his food. "When I'm older I want to be a vet so I can look after all the poorly animals." Scarlett announced with a mouthful of food. "My favourites are doggies and ponies. I want a pony for Christmas but mommy says there's no where for it to live. Do you have a pet Caleb?"

"No, I don't." He replied. "But my dad has a Great Dane."

"What's that?" She asked.

"It's a really big dog." He answered. Scarlett nodded and turned back to her plate.

"How are your parents, Caleb?" Ashley asked.

"They're doing okay."

"Is your mother still in California?" He nodded. "It's a shame I never got the chance to meet her." Ashley carried on.

Hanna, who had been quiet so far cleared her throat awkwardly and signalled at her mother to end that conversation there before it went too far into the past. Caleb had just nodded and stuffed some more spaghetti in his mouth as an excuse not to reply properly.

After they had all finished their dinner Scarlett had been allowed her cupcake and they had all watched as she covered herself in chocolate frosting and crumbs. Caleb couldn't help but smile at everything she did. Every small movement or comment lit his face up and he couldn't control it.

She was everything Hanna and Toby had described her to be. She wasn't shy at all and had done most of the talking at the dinner. He now knew that she was a ballerina and her best friend was called Freya and she had a teddy called Mr Cuddles.

He had also come to see how good a mother Hanna was. He always knew she would be an amazing mom but he hadn't imagined how amazing she would be. He could tell that Scarlett was the world to her and nothing was more important and he was also happy that they had been able to put their differences aside for Scarlett.

When it was time for him to go Hanna surprised him again. "Are you busy next Friday?" She asked him.

"No, I don't think so." He replied. She just nodded and walked over to Scarlett who was sat at the kitchen table still.

"Scar, next Friday after school, would you like to come to the park with me and Caleb?" She asked.

The little girl nodded eagerly. "Only if you bring me some cupcakes again." She cheekily smiled at Caleb.

"Scarlett." Hanna warned in a stern voice.

"Deal." Caleb nodded, ignoring Hanna and grinning back at her.

"Bye bye Caleb." She waved.

"Bye Scarlett." He waved back. Hanna walked him to the front door and he turned around before opening it. "Thank you." He smiled. "For today and next week."

"You deserve to be apart of her life." Was Hanna's reply.

He gave her one last nod before walking out into the cold evening. Hanna closed the door behind him and turned back to the kitchen where Scarlett was. Seeing Caleb and Scarlett together made her wonder what it would have been like if he had been there from the start. If he had never left for Europe. But she couldn't afford to think like that or she would have to rethink everything she had done since. She pushed that thought to the back of her mind and started to clear up from dinner.

—–—–

"Do you want another story?" Hanna asked as she put the book back in the shelf next to Scarlets bed.

She shook her head tiredly. "When are we going to the park with Caleb?" She asked.

"Next week."

"I like Caleb. He's nice." She commented.

Hanna smiled and stroked her soft cheek. "He is." She agreed.

"Night night mommy." Scarlett yawned as Hanna tucked the covers around her little body.

"Night, night baby." She replied leaning down and kissing her forehead. "Sweet dreams."

"Wait." Scarlett called as Hanna stood up. "Where's Mr Cuddles?"

Hanna looked around the bedroom for the teddy bear that Scarlett refused to sleep with out. She spotted it tucked under the end of the bed and pulled it out. It was a light brown bear with a red and black checked shirt on that was far too big for it but Scarlett refuses to take off it.

Hanna passed it to her and she cuddled into it. "Sleep tight." Hanna whispered and she watched Scarlett's eyes slowly drift to sleep.

 **AN: Hoped you liked Caleb meeting Scarlett for the first time and his talk with Ashley. Tell me what you think. Xx**

 **Also a lot of people have been asking if Hanna and Caleb are going to grow closer and obviously this is a Haleb story so they will but right now I want to concentrate on Caleb and Scarlett. Something happens in a few chapters that brings them closer...**


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: This chapter is coming to you all the way from my holiday in France so enjoy xxx**

 **I also wants to say (because I don't know if it's clear or not) but Caleb doesn't know that Hanna went back for him yet in New York. I wanted to keep everything to do with Haleb kind of similar to the show (obviously without Spaleb) so he'll find out eventually which leads to something else...**

"I've bought everything for the gift bags, you don't need to worry Claudia." Hanna told her boss as she entered the school playground, waiting for Scarlett to finish.

"Everything needs to be perfect for the opening of the store Hanna. It's only a few months away."

"I know and it will be. The gift bags arrive in a few days and then I'll start putting everything in them." Hanna explained. "The fuchsia pink bags will match with the sign outside."

"Fuchsia? I want the gift bags to be magenta pink."

"You told me you wanted them to be fuchsia yesterday. I've already bought them." Hanna frowned.

"I did not tell you to get them in fuchsia, it's an awful colour. Magenta is much more relaxing."

"They're practically the same." Hanna muttered.

"What?"

"Nothing. I'll re-order them for you later." Hanna sighed.

"Good." Was her bosses reply before she hung up.

Hanna rolled her eyes and threw her phone back into her handbag. She spotted some children from Scarlett's class start to filter out the door and it wasn't long before her little blonde beauty was running up to her. "Did you have a good day, baby?"

"Yeah. Are we going to the park with Caleb now?" She asked excitedly, taking Hanna's hand as they started to walk out.

Hanna nodded. Ever since Caleb had come around for dinner a week ago Scarlett had been constantly asking when their next visit was. She was glad that Scarlett had bonded with Caleb so well and wanted to keep seeing him.

They walked until they reached Wright's playground, Caleb wasn't there yet so Scarlett ran straight over to the slide. Hanna held her hand as she climbed up the steps and watched her slide down it.

It wasn't long before she saw Caleb walking towards them carrying a Lucky Leon's box. "Hey, sorry I'm late, I had to stop to buy these." He said lifting the box up slightly.

"You didn't have to you know." Hanna said as Scarlett came running over.

"A deal is a deal." Caleb smiled.

"Hi Caleb. Did you bring me some cupcakes again?" Scarlett asked.

"I did." He confirmed handing her the box.

"Thank you." She grinned, opening the box. "There's two?"

Caleb nodded. "I bought one for your mommy as well." He looked at Hanna.

She was slightly taken aback and gave him a small smile in return. "I'll put them in my bag for later." She said taking the box from Scarlett. She ran back over to the slide started playing on it again.

Caleb turned to Hanna. "Do you want to sit down?" He asked nodding to the swings. Their swings.

Hanna nodded and followed him over to them. She hadn't realised until now how many times they had come here when they were younger and what the swings symbolised for them.

She sat down and put her bag at her feet. They watched as Scarlett skipped over to the climbing frame and started to climb up it.

"She's been excited about this all week." Hanna said looking over at Caleb. He smiled back and they say in silence for another few minutes.

Hanna could tell Caleb wanted to say something. He kept opening his mouth to speak and then closing it again a second later. "What's wrong?" She asked.

"Nothing." He replied quickly. "There's just so many things I still don't know."

"You can ask me anything." She smiled.

"Did you stay in New York when you found out you were pregnant?" He asked.

"No I quit my job and moved back in with my mom." She answered.

"When did you move back to New York?"

"Scarlett was two and I had been looking for a job and I got offered one in New York so I moved back."

"What did you dad say about the pregnancy?" Caleb asked.

Hanna thought back to when she had to tell her father and Isabel that she was pregnant and that Caleb was gone. "He didn't take it too bad I guess. He was angry at first but he came around."

"I bet he hates me." Caleb muttered.

"No, I told him we broke up before I knew I was pregnant." She explained.

"Does he see Scarlett much?"

"Now and again. He always visits for her birthday though." Caleb was glad that Tom hadn't abandoned Hanna and Scarlett and at least made an effort.

Talking about Hanna's parents made him remember something she had said when she told him about Scarlett. "You said that you called my mom and dad when you were trying to find me, did they know your were pregnant?"

Hanna shook her head. "I didn't tell them. I just said that I needed to tell you something." She looked down slightly. Maybe if she had told Claudia or Jamie then when Caleb did return he would have know sooner. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay, I thought they had kept it a secret from me or something." He said.

Hanna shook her head and looked over at Scarlett who was back on the slide. There was a long silence before Caleb broke it again with another question.

"Was anyone with you when you gave birth?" He asked.

She nodded her head. "My mom was there." He was glad that she had someone to hold her hand and reassure her even though he wished it was him.

Hanna looked down thinking about the day her daughter was born. It was such a bittersweet moment.

 _... "She's beautiful." The midwife announced as she handed the baby girl back to Hanna dressed in a pale pink baby grow and hat._

 _"She really is, Han." Ashley smiled, leaning over to get a closer look at her granddaughter._

 _Hanna couldn't help but smile as she looked down at her new born daughter. She ran a hand down her tiny arm and rubbed her soft hand slightly. The baby girl curled her tiny fingers around Hanna's finger_ _then looked up at her mother. Their eyes met for the first time and Hanna's smile slowly dropped._

 _"What's wrong, honey?" Ashley asked, noticing Hanna's sudden change in emotions._

 _"She has his eyes." She whispered. Looking into her daughters deep brown eyes. Caleb's eyes. It was like he was looking straight up at her himself._

 _Tears started falling from Hanna's crystal blue eyes and she squeezed them shut to try and stop them but it was no use. A teardrop fell and landed on her daughters cheek. The baby girl blinked a few times and looked back up at Hanna. She quickly brought her thumb to her cheek and wiped away the tear._

 _"I'll give you a minute alone." Ashley said following the midwife out of the door and giving Hanna some privacy._

 _She looked back at her little girl and more tears streamed down her cheeks. This was supposed to be one of the happiest days of her life; she'd just had a gorgeous baby girl with the man she loves. Instead it just reminded her of the huge mistake she had made letting him go._

 _The baby girl kicked her little legs and Hanna leant down to press a kiss to her cheek. "I'm sorry." She whispered, her voice cracking. "It's just, you look so much like your daddy." She sniffled._

 _If anyone walked in now they would think that Hanna was mad for having a conversation with a baby less than a day old, but she didn't care._

 _"He's not here now and I don't know if he'll ever come back but I do know that if he was here he'd love you so much. You'd be his little princess." She looked down at her baby girl as her eyes slowly closed and she drifted to sleep in her arms. She let out a small smile and kissed her cheek again. "Its just you and me now and I promise to look after you the best I can. I love you so much already and won't ever let anything hurt you." ..._

Hanna hadn't realised that a tear had left the corner of her eye and she wiped it away quickly and hoped Caleb hadn't seen. But he had. "Are you okay?" He asked softly.

She nodded and looked at her feet. "I just- I really wish you had been there when she was born." She confessed.

"So do I." He replied. He should have been there and held her hand through all of her labour even if it meant his hand bones had been crushed. He should have wiped away her sweat and kissed her head and told her how good she was doing. He should have heard their daughters first ever cries and cut the cord that attached her to Hanna. He should have watched as the baby girl bonded with Hanna in her arms for the first time and then he should have held her close and promised that he would always be there for her. But he wasn't.

"Mommy, watch this!" Scarlett called over.

They both watched as she climbed up the steps to the slide and slid down on her tummy. "Be careful baby." Hanna called back, not liking how far her chin got to the tarmac at the bottom.

Scarlett skipped back over to the climbing frame and attempted to climb to the top again.

"I was talking to Toby last week," Hanna said turning to Caleb. "He told me that you were drinking a lot Caleb and I see your smoking too."

Caleb furrowed his eyebrows. He didn't know how she knew he was smoking, he hasn't smoked near her or Scarlett. Hanna just pointed to the packet of cigarettes that was about to fall out of his jacket pocket. He quickly stuffed them back in. "I would never smoke anywhere near Scarlett or you."

"I know." She replied quickly. "I'm not bothered about that it's your drinking."

Caleb looked down slightly. "I've stopped."

"Good." She have him a small smile. "I'm not trying to lecture you or something, I just want you to be healthy for Scarlett."

"I will be. Toby told me he's Scarlett's godfather." Caleb said.

"Yeah, Toby and Emily." She replied, feeling slightly guilty. That was another decision he should have been part of but wasn't.

"I'm glad you picked him."

"I picked who I thought you might of picked." She replied. "He's looked after her a few times and she always comes back happy and with loads of candy."

Caleb chuckled slightly and so did Hanna. "Mommy can you push me on the swings?" Scarlett asked as she ran over to them.

Hanna looked over at Caleb and smiled. "Why don't you let Caleb push you? I bet he can push you higher than I can."

"Yeah!" She giggled and hopped onto the swing he had just got off.

"Hold on tight." He said taking hold of the chains and pulling back a little at first.

"Go higher Caleb!" She called. He pushed harder and she let out an infectious giggle. Hanna smiled at them both from the swing she was sat on and that's how the rest of the afternoon went.

Around half five it started getting colder and darker outside so they decided to call it a night.

"Same time next week?" Hanna asked taking Scarlett's hand as they started walking out of the park.

"I'll be here." He smiled back.

"Bring some cupcakes again Caleb." Scarlett called.

He let out a small laugh and nodded. "I will."

He watched as they both walked down the street back home. He waited until they were out of sight before he started walking the opposite way, back to his apartment. He pulled out a cigarette and light it.

He knew it was a disgusting habit. He smoked a lot before he came to Rosewood when he was sixteen but had to stop when there was no one willing to sell him any for a affordable price. But when he find himself alone in Europe, full of regrets he turned back to an old habit and hadn't stopped since.

He turned around and got a last glimpse of Scarlett and Hanna before they turned a corner and were out of sight.

Sat on the swings at the park all them years ago, debating whether or not to let his mother back into his life, he would never had imagined that he would be back on them swings eight years later trying to connect with his daughter. It made him so happy watching her run around the park and have fun but every time Hanna told him something about when she was a baby or even from a month ago he had missed it felt like he was being stabbed in the heart. That pain was something he was going to have to live with for the rest of his life.

 **AN: I love writing Caleb and Scarlett together they're so cute. I hope you like the flashback of Scarlett's birth and tell me if you want a preview. Xxxxx**


	9. Chapter 9

A week later and Hanna was rushing around trying to get all of her work done before picking Scarlett up from school.

"Han, you need to slow down." Jordan smiled, placing his hand on her shoulders.

"I can't, I have to get this done for tomorrow." She sighed, pointing to the pile of paperwork on the coffee table.

"I didn't come back here to watch you stress out. Relax, okay." He smiled again. "Don't you have two months until the shop opens anyway?"

"Exactly, only two months. Claudia's reputation is on the line." She placed her hands on his waist. "I'm glad your here." She smiled.

"Good because I'm staying." He smiled. "All the work I need to do for the next few weeks I can do here."

"Really?" She smiled. He nodded and leant down to kiss her but he pulled away. "I've got to pick Scar up." She said rushing past him to get her bag and phone.

"I'll drive you." Jordan chipped in.

Hanna stopped and looked over at him. "You can't, we're meeting Caleb after at the park."

"I'll drop you off then." He said but noticed the look uneasy look on Hanna's face. "I'll just introduce myself to Caleb and then leave."

Hanna didn't reply. She didn't want Jordan to intrude on Caleb getting to know Scarlett and she didn't really like the idea of her ex and her fiancé in the same area. Although she understood why Jordan wanted to meet Caleb. "Okay." She sighed.

"If you really don't want me to come then I wont." He said coming closer to her. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

"No, it's fine." She forced a smile and then stood up. "Are you ready to go?"

—–—–

"Are we going to the park with Caleb now?" Scarlett asked as Hanna opened the back door of Jordan's car and helped her into her seat.

"Yes, put your seat belt on." She instructed.

"Hi Scar." Jordan called from the drivers seat.

"Hi Jordan." She smiled back.

"Did you have a good time at school?" He asked as he set off driving.

"Yeah. We're going to see Caleb now!" She smiled giddily. Hanna couldn't help but smile as well. She loved how excited Scarlett got whenever they mentioned Caleb. She was surprised that they had hit it off so quick and they obviously had a special bond.

It only took a few minutes for them to arrive at the park. Caleb was already there and was sat on the bench waiting with another lucky Leon's box. A smile appeared on his face when Scarlett jumped out of the car and ran up to him.

Hanna picked up her bag and made her way out of the car too, glancing back as Jordan followed her. Caleb stood up as they approached and looked between Hanna and Jordan.

"Jordan, this is Caleb." She said as they stopped in front of him and Jordan came to stand by her side. "Caleb, Jordan."

"I finally get to meet the Caleb Rivers." Jordan said leaning forward and offering a hand to shake.

"Yeah, it's nice to meet you." Caleb said shaking his hand. He was tall, with a thick Australian accent and Caleb guessed he worked in fashion by the way he was dressed. He looked sophisticated and well off.

"Mommy look, Caleb brought me some more cupcakes." Scarlett interrupted as she handed them to Hanna to put in her bag.

"What do you say?" She asked Scarlett.

"Thank you." She grinned as she turned to Caleb. "Can I go on the slide now?"

"Be careful." Hanna warned as Scarlett skipped off to the slide.

Then the three adults were left standing there in silence. Caleb stuffed his hands in the pocket of his jeans and shifted around awkwardly. He watched as Jordan wrapped his arm around Hanna's shoulder and she gave him a smile. It hurt to just look at the ring on her finger never mind see her with him.

Hanna noticed how uncomfortable Caleb looked and stepped away from Jordan slightly. He turned to Caleb. "I think it's great that your getting to know Scarlett now." He said.

"Yeah." Caleb nodded and looked over at Scarlett. He wondered what her relationship was like with Jordan and if she thought of him as a father figure. He wanted to be the one she called Dad and the person to protect her, not anyone else.

"I should go. I've got some work to do." Jordan said. "Do you want me to pick you up later?" He asked turning to Hanna.

"No, it's fine. We'll walk back." She replied.

"Okay, well it was nice meeting you Caleb."

Caleb turned around. "You too." He nodded.

"Bye Scarlett." Jordan called as he started walking back to the car. She waved at him and carried on playing.

Once he was gone Caleb turned to Hanna. "Do you want to sit down?" He asked.

She nodded and they both took a seat on the swings again. "Jordan seems nice." Caleb said trying to make conversation and be polite.

Hanna nodded her head. "He is."

"Congratulations on your engagement, I meant to say that last time but..." He trailed off.

"Thank you." She smiled. She felt like she should justify herself to Caleb about Jordan. "When you left for Europe and I had Scarlett, I wasn't looking for another relationship," She started.

He shook his head like it was no problem. "You seem happy."

"I am."

"I'm glad." If he didn't make her happy anymore then at least she had found someone else who did.

They sat in silence for a few more minutes, watching Scarlett.

"I've been thinking," Caleb said breaking the silence. "I should give you some money to help you look after Scarlett."

"No, Caleb. You don't have to." She told him.

"I want to."

"You really don't have to. Mine and Jordan's jobs pay for everything she needs." She smiled.

Caleb sighed. "So he can pay but I can't?" He muttered more bitterly than he meant to.

"I didn't say you couldn't, Caleb. I just said you don't need to." Hanna sighed. She could tell that Caleb was annoyed and slightly jealous.

"Look Caleb, I get that you want to be more involved and your probably worried that Jordan has replaced you or something but he hasn't." Hanna started. "Scarlett knows that he's not her dad and he doesn't expect her to call him dad either."

He felt bad now. Hanna was right, he felt like Jordan had taken his place and was doing everything he was supposed to do. He didn't have anything against the guy, he genuinely seemed like a nice guy and was doing what any decent person would do. He couldn't be mad because Jordan was there for Hanna and Scarlett when he wasn't. "I'm Sorry." He apologised.

"It doesn't matter." She gave him a reassuring smile and turned to look at Scarlett. "I think she wants you to push her on the swings again." She said as Scarlett came skipping up to him.

He got off the swing he was sat on and walked around to the back as Scarlett jumped on it. "Can you push me please, Caleb?"

"Course I can." He smiled.

They swung in comfortable silence for a few minutes until Scarlett decided she'd had enough. "Can you help me get to the top of the climbing frame?" She asked looking up at Caleb. "I can't do it."

Caleb looked over at the wooden climbing frame and nodded but Scarlett was already half way to it. He looked to the side and Hanna gave him a small smiled before standing up and following him.

"So, whereabouts in New York do you live?" He asked making conversation as they walked.

"Still in Tribeca." She answered. "It's not far from our old apartment."

Caleb nodded. "What happened to the apartment?"

"I had to sell it when I moved back in with my mom." She replied looking down slightly but soon looked up and put on a smile trying to lighten the mood again as they approached Scarlett. "What about you? How was Europe?"

Caleb could tell what she was trying to do and if she thought asking about Europe would make it less awkward then she was wrong.

In the six months he had spent in Europe he had barely seen any of it. He spent his nights sat at a bar trying to forget about the aching of his heart by getting drunk and taking a different girl back to his hotel room every night. And in the days he would sleep his hangover off and move onto the next city.

So much guilt came over him when he thought of how reckless and care free he had been whilst Hanna was trying her best to find him and tell him about their baby.

He had lay on a beach one night in Spain and looked up at the stars wondering exactly when he lost her. When she realised that she wanted to move on with her career and leave him behind. When she realised that he was her past.

He was shaken out of his thoughts by Scarlett tugging at the bottom of his coat. "I said can you help me?" She huffed.

He shot her a quick smile and watched as she walked up the ladders to the wooden frame. Then she looked down at him for advice on what to do next.

He looked up at the climbing frame for a few seconds before deciding the best way for her to get to the top. "Hold on here and put your foot on that one." He directed pointing to the wooden bar.

Hanna noticed that Caleb hadn't answered her Europe question but didn't say anything. She just stood beside him as he helped Scarlett climb to the top.

"Mommy, look I did it!" She cheered, standing at the top of the climbing frame.

"I know," she smiled. "Let me take a picture." She pulled out her phone and snapped a picture of Scarlett stood at the top.

Caleb was smiling up at Scarlett too. "Do you want me to send it to you?" She asked pointing to her phone.

He nodded and smiled thankfully as she sent it to him along with a few other she had taken recently.

Then Scarlett looked down at Caleb and frowned. "How do I get down?" He chuckled slightly and reached up to show her how to get down. She jumped from the bottom step and burst out giggling. "Again!"

"It's getting late now Scarlett, you can climb it again next week." Hanna chipped it.

"But I don't want to go." She whined looking over at Caleb. "Do I have to?"

"If your mommy says so." He smiled. "But I'll see you next week again."

"Will you bring some cupcakes?" She cheekily smiled, flashing her pearly teeth to him.

"If you do what your mom says and be good then I will." He glanced up at Hanna for a few seconds.

"Okay." She grinned and skipped over to Hanna, taking her hand. "Bye bye Caleb."

"See you next week." Hanna smiled.

"Yeah, bye." He waved briefly, watching them leave.

—–—–

"Wow," Caleb said looking up. "You've done loads since last time."

Toby smiled proudly up at his house. All the walls were starting to come together and the bricks had started to be laid. "I've been working on it every night and Yvonne's been helping a bit."

Caleb nodded and say back in the chair. "What have you done today then?" Toby asked. He was enjoying the weekly catch ups him and Caleb had over a beer.

"Just work." Caleb replied.

"Haven't you seen Scarlett today?" He asked noticing the smile that came onto Caleb's face at the mention of his daughter.

"Yeah. Hanna introduced me to Jordan."

"Oh, he's alright I guess." Toby shrugged. "He's a bit stuck up but he treats Hanna and Scarlett right."

Caleb nodded and looked down. That was all he wanted to know. That Hanna had found someone who loves her and treated her and his daughter with respect.

Toby noticed Caleb look down. "Your still hung up on Hanna aren't you?"

Caleb shook his head. Honestly he didn't know how he felt about Hanna right now, he was so confused. Part of him wanted to be with her so desperately but the other part told him that she was happy without him and he had to let her go.

"Its been years. She's engaged now." Toby sighed.

"I know," He muttered. "I know."

They say in silence for another few minutes before Caleb broke it. "How long has she even been with Jordan?"

"I think it's like a year and a half or something." Toby replied shrugging.

"Who gets engaged after a year and a half?" He muttered bitterly.

Toby sat forward. "Me and Yvonne have only been together a year."

"Yeah, your not engaged though."

"Not yet." Toby corrected him. "I'm going to propose to her."

"Really? When?" Caleb asked sitting forward.

"I don't know yet, I've still got to ask her parents."

"Congratulations man." Caleb said patting his back. He couldn't help but feel slightly jealous of Toby. He had gotten the chance to propose to the woman he loves and spend the rest of his life with her whereas he was stuck watching the woman he loves do the same to someone else.

 **Not much happens in this chapter and its quite short but you get a feel of where Jordan stands in this. I find him really hard to write because I want him to be like he is on the show.**

 **Tell me if you want a preview and I promise lots of drama next chapter. Xxxx**


	10. Chapter 10

**Lots of drama as promised. Xxxx**

"You need to stop bringing cupcakes." Hanna chuckled as they approached Caleb who was holding another Lucky Leon's box. "You're making me look mean for not giving her treats as much as you."

"I think that's the only reason she want to see me, I always bring cakes." He chuckled too as Scarlett walked up to him. "Hi Scarlett."

"Hi Caleb. You brought me cupcakes again." She smiled.

"Yep. They didn't have any chocolate this time so I got you vanilla." He said as he passed her the box.

"Thank you." She smiled.

"I'll put them in my bag." Hanna said reaching out for them but Scarlett pulled back.

"I want to put them in my bag." She took her school backpack off her back and unzipped it. When she was done she passed her bag to Hanna and started running to the swings. "Come on Caleb."

He laughed and followed her, walking behind the swing so he could push her. "Go really, really high." She giggled.

"How high?"

"So my feet touch the sky."

"Okay." He smiled.

Hanna laughed and followed them over. She was really starting to enjoy coming to the park with Scarlett and Caleb. It gave her a chance to relax and not worry and she loved watching Scarlett have so much fun with Caleb.

Her phone started ringing from her bag so she pulled it out. "Hello?"

"Hi Han." It was Jordan.

"Hi, are you okay?"

"Your mom doesn't happen to have a spare key to her house does she?"

"No, she lost it a while ago. Why?"

"I'm back from work and she's not home yet." He explained. "Where are you?"

"I'm at the park with Scar and Caleb." She replied. "I'll come and bring you a key."

"No, it's fine. I'll come and get it."

"No, I'll come to you." She said before putting the phone down so he couldn't disagree. Then she turned to Scarlett and Caleb. They were having so much fun and she didn't want to cut it short.

She picked up Scarlett's backpack and left it by the side of the swing. "I'm just going home to let Jordan inside, are you okay here for a few minutes?"

"Why are you going home mommy?" Scarlett asked.

"Jordan's locked out of the house so I need to let him in." She explained. "Will you be okay?" She looked at Caleb. He nodded slowly. "I won't be long." She added.

"We'll be fine." He smiled.

"I'll be back soon." Hanna called as she started walking back to her moms.

"What did you do at school today?" Caleb asked Scarlett as she swung into the air.

"We did show and tell and I took my teddy bear in to show the class." She replied. "Can I go on the slide now?"

Caleb nodded and started to slow the swing down so she could jump off. He followed her over to the slide and stood at the side as she climbed the steps. Instead of going straight down it though, she decided to sit at the top. "Why is Jordan locked out?" She asked.

"Maybe he doesn't have a key." Caleb shrugged.

"Mommy and Jordan are getting married, you know?" Caleb nodded slowly. "He gave mommy a big, sparkly ring and now they're gonna have a wedding in New York."

As much as Caleb hated hearing about Hanna and Jordan's wedding plans he didn't have the heart to tell Scarlett to stop talking.

"And Mommy's going to wear a white dress and have her hair done all pretty and she said I'm going to wear a princess dress as well and be a bridesmaid for her."

He always knew Hanna would make a beautiful bride. He just always thought she would be his beautiful bride. When they were younger she would tell him how she wanted a big white wedding in New York with all her family and friends there and he had made a silent promise to himself to give her that one day. Now someone else was.

"There's going to be music and dancing and a cake." Scarlett rambled on, disturbing his thoughts. "And lots of people there. Are you coming Caleb?"

He shook his head.

Scarlett stood up and held onto the metal pole at the top of the slide. "Why not?"

"Because..." He trailed off and looked down at his feet. There were so many reasons why he wasn't going be at the wedding. Hanna would never invite him, that would be way too awkward and even if he was invited his heart would shatter having to watch her happily agree to spend the rest of her life with some one that wasn't him.

His head shot up when he herd Scarlett let out a terrified scream and watched as she fell from the top of the slide off the edge and hit the ground with a thud. She burst into tears and he darted to the other side of the slide to help her.

He swore under his breath as he squatted down in front of her and helped her to sit up. "Are you okay?" He asked as his eyes scanned her body for any signs she had hurt herself.

She had a scratch on her forehead and he noticed that she was holding onto one of her arms whilst she sobbed. He reached forward to get a better look but as soon as his hand touched her wrist she flinched and pulled it away.

"Does your arm hurt?" He asked. She nodded her head as more tears poured out of her eyes. "Can you take your coat of so I can look at it?" He asked again.

She gave him a small nod and let him slowly take off her winter coat. "My hand hurts." She spluttered.

"I know." He didn't have any medical training but he could tell there was something wrong with her wrist, it was pale and already slightly swollen. "I think we should go to the hospital." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"No!" Scarlett cried even more. "I don't want to."

"We need to." Caleb said softly. "The doctor can make your hand better and stop it hurting."

She nodded reluctantly and let Caleb help her up. He wrapped her coat around her shoulders and brought her other hand up to her wrist. "Can you hold your wrist like this until we get to the hospital?" He asked.

She sniffled and nodded. Caleb stood up and picked up her purple backpack as he placed his hand on her shoulder and walked to his car. Once they got to it he lifted her up into the passenger seat. "Are you okay?" He asked again.

She nodded and kept a hold of her wrist. Her tears had stopped but he could tell she was still in pain by her quiet whimpers. He closed the car door and walked around to the drivers side. The sooner he got her to the hospital the sooner it wouldn't hurt anymore.

Hanna was going to kill him. Scarlett had gotten hurt whilst he was looking after her. He should have held her hand or watched more closely to make sure she was safe but he was too distracted thinking about Hanna and now she probably wouldn't trust him to look after Scarlett again.

He parked up at the hospital and lead Scarlett through the main doors, up to reception. "How can I help you?" A cheery woman behind the desk asked.

"I think she's broken her wrist or something, can you look at it?" He explained, keeping his hand in Scarlett's shoulder.

"That's why we're here." She smiled, looking over the desk at Scarlett. "What's your name sweetie?"

"Scarlett Marin." She mumbled.

The nurse typed something into the computer and then looked at Caleb. "Are you a parent or relative?"

He opened his mouth to reply yes but looked down at Scarlett who was staring up at him with terrified eyes. "No, I-I'm just a friend." He answered running a hand through his hair again.

"Well I'm going to have to contact a parent." The nurse said. "Can you give me their name?"

"Hanna Marin." Caleb replied.

At the mention of Hanna's name Scarlett burst into tears again. "I want mommy." She cried.

Caleb sighed and squeezed her shoulder gently, trying to comfort her. "She's coming."

—–—–

Hanna burst through the hospital doors with Jordan following closely behind her. As soon as she got a call from the hospital telling her Scarlett was there she grabbed Jordan's car keys and sped to the hospital.

She searched for the room the nurse at reception had told her Scarlett and Caleb were in. She didn't know how seriously her baby girl was hurt, just that there had been a accident. She had put the phone down before the nurse could explain further.

"Here." She breathed opening the door. Scarlett was sat on the edge of the hospital bed whilst a nurse was examining her left arm. Caleb was stood next to her and looked over when he herd the door open.

"I'm so sorry Hanna." He apologised, approaching her but she ignored him and walked straight up to Scarlett.

"Are you okay baby?" She asked pressing a kiss to her hair, pulling her in for a hug and letting out a sigh of relief that she wasn't more seriously injured.

Jordan came through the door a few seconds after. He walked up to Hanna and placed his hand on her shoulder. "What happened?"

"She was on the slide and I took my eyes off her for a few seconds and she fell." Caleb explained. "I'm so sorry."

Hanna looked up at the nurse. "Has she broken it?" She asked.

"She's fractured her left wrist so we'll have to put a cast on for six weeks until it heals." She replied turning to Scarlett. "Do you want a pink or a green cast?"

"Pink please." Scarlett smiled shyly. The nurse had given her some painkillers so she when they had arrived so she wasn't in as much pain anymore.

"Okay, I'll go and get it." She replied. She walked to the door where Caleb was stood. "It's family only sir, you can wait outside."

He looked over to where Scarlett was sat waiting with Hanna and Jordan stood around her. He could of said something then about the fact that he had more of a right to be there than Jordan did but that would ruin everything for Scarlett. She'd had a traumatic day as it was without him revealing him self as her dad.

He just nodded silently at the nurse and followed her out the door. Looking through the window one last time and saw that they hadn't noticed he'd left, in fact he didn't think Hanna had noticed he was even there at all. She was too engrossed in making sure Scarlett was okay.

He let out a long sigh and started to walk back to his car. He was so pissed at himself for letting Scarlett get hurt. He had frozen on the spot when he saw her fall and should of tried to catch her instead of letting her break her wrist. The thought of Hanna's wedding had distracted him and made him forget about what was more important; his daughter. When he saw her crying and in pain he wanted to hug her so badly and comfort her but he didn't want to make her uncomfortable. It was going to take a long time for her to trust him completely and after today he wondered if she ever would again.

 **Tell me what you think and let me know if you want a preview. Xxx**


	11. Chapter 11

**I know I updated like a few days ago but this week has been the best in such a long time. Spaleb broke up and Haleb and Tyshley are rising. Their snapchats are getting me so excited for 7b.**

 **Anyway Haleb2.0 and Celia, you asked for a romantic Haleb scene or a fight between Hanna and Jordan and I promise you'll get one of those this chapter. Xxx**

When Hanna approached Caleb's door she found it unlocked and walked inside. Caleb was sat on the sofa with a cigarette in one hand. She cleared her throat and his head shot up. "What are you doing here?" He asked, his voice was rough and he looked like he had tears in his eyes.

"Scarlett left her bag in your car. It's got her teddy in and she can't sleep without it." She explained. He nodded and pointed to the purple sparkly backpack on the kitchen counter. "I'm sorry I ignored you at the hospital, I think my Momma bear instincts took over." Hanna apologised.

"It's fine." Caleb replied clearing his throat as he took one last drag and stubbed out his cigarette. "How is she?"

Hanna took the bag and returned to standing in front of him. "She's tired and her wrist is still sore but she's okay."

"Shit," Caleb mumbled, rubbing his face again. "I'm so sorry Han, I don't know what happened. I just took my eyes off her for a second-"

"Caleb it's fine."

"No it's not. She got hurt when I was supposed to be looking after her." He argued. "I saw her falling and I just froze. I should've tried to catch her."

"It could have happened when anyone was looking after her, Caleb." Hanna tried. He was really beating himself up for what happened.

He just ignored her and pulled out another cigarette and a lighter. He put the cigarette in his mouth and tried to light it. "Fuck." He muttered as his lighter shorted out again. All that he wanted now was to be left alone so he could have smoke in peace. He slammed the lighter and cigarette down on the coffee table and returned to staring at the floor.

Hanna took pity on him and sat down on the sofa next to him. He was blaming him self when he shouldn't. "What kind of person can't even look after their own daughter in a park." He mumbled. "I should've never come back here."

"Don't say that Caleb." Hanna said taking his hand away from his face.

"Why not? I've hurt Scarlett and I let you down." He said finally meeting her eyes.

Hanna shook her head. "You've never let me down Caleb." It was true. In the eight years she had known him he had hadn't let her down once. She looked down slightly as something clouded her mind. "But I've let you down."

Caleb furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Should she tell him? She had held onto it for long enough now. "The night of our big fight, the night we broke up."

"You made a difficult choice." He interrupted, shaking his head slightly and looking around before meeting her gaze again.

She shook her head slightly and looked at him. "There's something you don't know."

 _... Hanna glanced out of the window and the rain beat down onto the busy New York streets. The traffic was at a standstill so she reached into her bag and pulled out her phone to ring Caleb again._ _It ran a few times before going straight to voice mail. "You've reached Caleb, leave a message."_

 _"I have to get out of here." She told the driver before opening the taxi door and pulling out her case._ _She started running down the street back to the apartment as the rain poured down and soaked her to the bone, but she didn't care. The only thing she cared about now was Caleb._

 _She was so stupid for walking away. He had told her that he'd had enough, it was him or her job. How could she even think for a second that her job was more important than him. She could get another job but there was only one Caleb Rivers and she had made the biggest mistake of her life walking out._

 _"Caleb?" She called as she burst through the door of their tiny apartment. "I am so sorry, I- I don't know what I was thinking."_ _She stopped to catch her breath and looked around. He wasn't here, his clothes were gone._

 _She grabbed her phone and desperately typed his number before bringing the phone to her ear._ _It started ringing and a small amount of hope filled her but that soon disappeared when she saw his phone light up on the table._

 _Her hand dropped from her ear and she let out a sob. He'd gone. He'd really gone. She'd lost him._ _What she didn't know, what would make everything hurt even more was that it wasn't just her he had left behind. He had left a tiny part of himself with her that would grow and grow into their precious daughter..._

"If I'd have just come back a few minutes earlier or never left, things might be so different now," Her voice was barley a whisper as she looked straight forward, afraid to meet his eyes. "We could've been a family."

"Yeah, " He nodded slightly, trying to hold in all his emotions. "We could've." All these years he thought that she had chosen her career over him, that she didn't want to be with him anymore but she had come back. She came back for him and he was gone.

They both turned their heads to look at each other at the same time. Hanna looked deep into his chocolate eyes and poured her heart out. "I never stopped loving you." She blinked and looked down at her hands as tears started filling her eyes. She didn't know what would happen now or how he would react but she was relieved she had finally told him the truth.

Caleb's heart skipped a beat when Hanna spoke those five words to him. For weeks now he had been wondering how she felt and now he knew. His hand cupped her cheek bringing her crystal blue eyes up to meet his. She looked so beautiful as her eyes glistened with tears. He ran his thumb along her cheek slowly, catching a tear that had fallen. He hated seeing her cry, he always had.

Hanna felt her cheek burn under his familiar touch. A touch she missed so much and craved every day since he left. He wiped another tear and she brought her eyes up to his. She could tell by the way his jaw clenched that he was holding back his own tears.

Their eyes crossed for a few seconds before his dropped to her lips. Her eyes did the same and she instinctively moved closer to him so their foreheads were just millimetres apart. Caleb moved his eyes back up to Hanna's and saw that she was looking at his lips and then back into his eyes. In that moment nothing else mattered and the whole world around them stopped.

His thumb crossed her damp cheek one more time, watching as she closes her eyes before he did the same. He only needed to move his lips forward a little bit for them to meet and he did.

Finally after six years, they were kissing. Her soft, gentle lips felt exactly the same against his. Their lips moved together and she opened hers slightly to let his tongue slowly push inside her mouth. He still tasted the same. His stubble still scratched against the top of her lip slightly and his hand still gripped her cheek in a firm but gently way. He still kissed her exactly the same.

Not breaking the kiss, Caleb reached forward for her jacket and that's when reality set in for Hanna. What felt so right suddenly was wrong. She abruptly pulled her lips away from his and stood up. "I shouldn't have- I'm sorry."

Before Caleb could say or do anything she picked up Scarlett's backpack and ran out of his apartment.

—–—–

Hanna closer the door of her mothers house behind her and leant back against it. Her lip quivered and she squeezed her eyes shut to try and stop her tears. Being alone with Caleb, at his apartment had made all of her old feelings resurface. For years she had fought so hard to push them down and he had brought every single feeling back with one look.

It felt so right to have her lips pressed against his and his tongue caress her mouth that she had forgotten all about the engagement ring on her finger.

Jordan had never done anything to hurt her. He had picked her up when she had been low and looked after her and Scarlett and she was repaying him by cheating. She had seen how much if affected her mother when her father cheated, it had effected her too and she couldn't ignore the guilt she felt about doing the same to Jordan. But the look Caleb gad given her was still stuck in her mind. The look of love, pure love. A look she had returned.

She heard footsteps and quickly wiped her eyes. "Hey Han, what's up?" Jordan asked walking towards to.

"Nothing." She replied quickly, looking down. She couldn't look him in the eye. "Where's Scarlett?"

"Your moms reading her a story." He answered.

She nodded and started walking up the stairs before stopping half way and turning around. "Pack up your stuff, we're going back to New York."

"Why?" Jordan asked, very confused by Hanna's behaviour.

"Because I want to." She snapped.

"Okay." He held his hands up in defence. "It's late now why don't we go in the morning." He came closer to her but she just carried on up the stairs.

"I want to go now."

 **I hope I did the kiss justice and you all liked the chapter. Tell me what you think and if you want a preview. Xxx**


	12. Chapter 12

The next morning Ashley was in her kitchen, it was one of the few Saturdays that she didn't have to work so made the most by making herself a an omelette for breakfast . She herd a knock at the door and got up to see who it was.

"Hello Caleb?" She furrowed her eyebrows as she opened the door. She didn't expect to see him here, especially this early.

"Hi."

"What are you doing here?" She asked opening the door further so he could come inside.

"I brought this for Scarlett." He replied, stepping in the door with a small get well soon teddy in his hand.

"That's sweet." Ashley smiled.

"Yeah," He scratched the back of his neck nervously. "I feel really bad about what happened."

"Don't worry, Caleb. The way she runs around like a lunatic, I'm surprised she hasn't done more damage." She chuckled.

He smiled slightly and nodded before clearing his throat and looking around. "Can I talk to Hanna for a minute?" He asked.

"Oh, she's not here." She replied.

"Where is she?"

"She's back in New York with Scarlett and Jordan for the weekend." She explained. "They went back late last night."

She watched as Caleb's eyes dropped. She didn't know why he wanted to speak to Hanna or why Hanna had rushed back to New York last night but she wondered if something had happened. "Can I pass on a message?"

"No, it's fine." He sighed and turned to the door and opening it. "Can you give this to Scarlett." He asked passing her the small teddy.

"Of course I can." She smiled as he gave her a half-hearted smile in return and closed the door behind himself.

—–—–

"Mommy, hurry up." Scarlett called as Hanna walked back into the living room with a bowl of popcorn.

"I'm ready, have you picked a film?" She asked settling down on the sofa next to Scarlett who was cuddling into her teddy bear.

"Frozen." She smiled, taking a big handful of popcorn.

Hanna pressed play and pulled a blanket from the back of the sofa over them both, making it cosy. Then she pulled Scarlett closer and kissed her temple. "Do you feel better today, baby?"

Scarlett nodded and munched on some more popcorn. "My hand still hurts." She mumbled looking down at the pink cast.

"I know." Hanna sighed, tucking some of Scarlett's hair behind her ear. "The cast will make it better."

"It's pink." She smiled lifting it up for Hanna to see.

"Careful." Hanna reminded, grabbing a cushion she could rest her hand on it. "You have to be really gentle with it for a few days like the nurse said."

"But I have dancing on Tuesday." Her eyebrows furrowed and she looked up at her mother.

Hanna sighed. "For your wrist to heal properly you can't do any sports."

Scarlett's bottom lip quivered and tears collected in her eyes. "But I want to do the dancing show at Christmas."

"Don't cry, baby." Hanna soothed wiping away her tears before they rolled down her cheeks. "If you dance with a broken wrist then it will get worse."

Scarlett leaned into Hanna and let her mom wrap her arms around her. "But I want to be in the Christmas show." She sniffled.

"Maybe the dance teacher can find you something to do where you won't use your wrist. I promise I'll ask her." Hanna smiled.

Scarlett gave her a small smile and nodded through her tears. Hanna smiled back and leant down to press a kiss onto Scarlett's nose. She giggled and cuddled back into her side.

Half way through the film Jordan walked into the living room with his phone in his hand. "What are you up to?" He asked.

"Shh," Scarlett furrowed her eyebrows but didn't take her gaze off the tv.

"We're watching Frozen." Hanna replied.

"I was just in the phone with my mom and she invited us to theirs for thanksgiving." He said, sitting down in the armchair.

Hanna just nodded. "That's nice of her."

"I told her we could go and she invited your mom too."

"I'll have to ask her." Hanna replied, looking back at the tv.

Jordan just nodded and walked out of the living room. Hanna couldn't help but sigh in relief when he left. She hadn't been able to look him in the eye properly since last night. She felt so guilty for what had happened with Caleb, Jordan was so good to her and he didn't deserve to be cheated on, but she couldn't help it.

Being so close to Caleb in his apartment had reminded her of what it felt like to be kissed by him again. His touch was so gentle and caring but so passionate at the same time. No one would ever kiss her like Caleb did.

She knew she shouldn't have ran away from him. It was immature and they would have to go back to Rosewood by Monday because Scarlett had school and she had work but maybe a weekend away from Rosewood would help clear her head. She knew that Caleb would want to talk about their kiss, he wasn't one to beat around the bush.

Hanna was shaken out if her thoughts by Scarlett tapping her arm. "Whose your favourite, mommy?"

Hanna looked at the screen. She hadn't been paying that much attention to the film so just answered with the first character she saw. "I like the snowman."

"Olaf," Scarlett smiled. "He's funny. My favourite is Elsa."

"Whys that?"

"Because she's pretty like you." Scarlett grinned looking up at her mother. "You have the same colour hair."

Hanna couldn't help but smile at how cute her daughter was. "Thank you baby. She's pretty like you too."

Scarlett shook her head. "Elsa has blue eyes and so do you. My eyes are brown."

Hanna looked down into her baby girls eyes. They were exact replicas of Caleb's. When Scarlett was a baby it used to make Hanna smile whenever she looked into her eyes and saw Caleb. His eyes were always her favourite feature of his and it was like a part of him was still there with them. Whenever she was down or needed a confidence boost all she had to do was look into Scarlett's eyes and she would feel better, just like she had done when it was Caleb's eyes she looked into.

But as Scarlett grew up more the reality that she was a single mother hit her hard. All she had ever dreamed was to give Scarlett a happy family environment that she didn't have and that included Caleb being there. She knew it wasn't his fault, the fault was hers for leaving the apartment, but that didn't stop her from wondering what life would have been like if he would have been with her through everything.

She wondered how he would have reacted to the pregnancy and what it would feel like to lie in his arms whilst he rubbed her baby bump. She would have sat in the rocking chair, folding tiny baby clothes whilst he worked hard to make the nursery perfect for their little girl. They would have spent hours choosing a name that they both loved and one that would suit their daughter. He would have been by her side through all of the birth, giving her his hand to squeeze and kissing her forehead, trying to help distract her from the pain. Then she would have watched as he held his baby girl for the first time and pressed kisses to her cheek and promise her that he would always be there to protect her. It hurt her so much that he had missed all those things so she couldn't imagine the pain Caleb felt. She wouldn't have blamed him if he told her it was all her fault, because it was. If she hadn't been so stupid to leave the apartment then they would have been a family. Instead, she was engaged to someone else and he was trying to connect with the daughter he never knew he had.

"You have your daddy's eyes." Her voice was barley a whisper and her eyes widened as soon as she realised what she had said.

She had only ever had one proper conversation with Scarlett about the topic of her father. It was when she was four and they were visiting Ashley in Rosewood and Scarlett must have herd them say something about him. She asked Hanna why she didn't have one and all she could reply with was tears.

She hated that Scarlett had seen her cry but talking about Caleb brought so many memories back that she couldn't help it. Scarlett hadn't ever asked about her daddy again because she knew it made her mommy cry and Hanna felt bad that she hadn't been able to talk about it properly with Scarlett.

"I thought I don't have a daddy?" Scarlett asked.

"Everyone has a daddy, it's how your made." Hanna replied, steadying herself for the conversation which was coming. As Scarlett grew older she knew she wouldn't be able to avoid her questions for much longer.

"What do you mean?" Scarlett asked again.

"For a baby to be made there has to be a man and a lady so everyone has a mommy and a daddy. You can't exist without one." She explained. "Some people don't know there mommy or there daddy though."

"So I do have a daddy?"

Hanna nodded. "Why isn't he here?"

Hanna took a breath. "Because before you were born he left and I couldn't find him again to tell him about you."

She was hoping that Scarlett wouldn't ask her fathers name because she had no intentions of telling her about Caleb right now. She wanted to make sure that she was totally comfortable with Caleb and that Caleb was ready. She wanted him to be there with her to help her explain everything and she didn't want him to miss anything else.

"Was he nice?" Scarlett asked.

Hanna couldn't help but smile slightly as she nodded. "He was very nice and if he knew about you he would have loved you so much."

Scarlett nodded and turned back to the tv. Hanna could see the cogs spinning in her little mind as she processed this new information.

She looked down at the teddy bear in Scarlett's arms and smiled slightly. She took the red checked shirt the bear was wearing, in between her fingertips. The shirt was so big that it had to be tied at the front. "This was your daddy's shirt." She said as Scarlett looked up at her again. "He left this behind when he left."

Scarlett cuddled her teddy closer. "It smells nice." She mumbled.

A single tear fell from Hanna's eye and she brought the shirt up to her nose. Somehow after years of being dragged everywhere on the back of a cuddly toy by Scarlett, the shirt still smelt like Caleb. It was his musky cent that brought so much comfort to her.

She had never been able to let that shirt go. It was the one thing he didn't take with him when he left New York because she had been wearing it to bed. She didn't know if he forgot about it or if he left it as something to remember him by but it didn't matter. All that mattered was that it was his and she was never giving it up.

Scarlett noticed the tear roll down her mommy's cheek and moved into her knees. "Don't cry mommy." She smiled pressing a sloppy kiss to her cheek.

—–—–

Hanna looked at the clock again. 1:05. She had been lying awake for four hours now trying to get some sleep. She looked over at Jordan who was fast asleep next to her and rolled into her side so she was facing away from him.

She was tired and wanted to sleep but apparently her brain had picked now as a good time to decide what she was going to do about Caleb. There was two thing she could do; listen to her head or her heart.

Her heart was telling her to hand Jordan his ring back and jump into Caleb's arms but her head was showing her everything she would loose by breaking off her engagement with Jordan. She would have no money, no car, no stable home for Scarlett to grow up in.

That was all she ever wanted for Scarlett and it wasn't what she had. For the first two years of her life they had lived in Rosewood with Ashley and then Hanna moved back to New York for work. She didn't want to unsettle Scarlett again but it was the only way she was going to have a good job that paid for an apartment. Then not too long ago they had moved into Jordan's condo and now they were living in both Rosewood and New York. She worried about how it would effect Scarlett and what impact it would have on her future. At least with Jordan she was garrenteed stability.

She was interrupted when the door to the bedroom opened and a half asleep Scarlett, stumbled over to her. Only when she was right in front of her she could see her face glistening with tears. "What's wrong baby?" She whispered, sitting up and cupping her daughters cheek.

"I had a bad dream." She sniffled. "Can I sleep with you?"

Hanna leant down and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Okay."

Scarlett started to climb in the bed, only using one hand when Hanna stopped her. "We can sleep in your bed."

Scarlett just nodded tiredly, letting Hanna get out of the bed and lift her up. She didn't have any objections to Scarlett sleeping in her bed, when Jordan was away with work she would always allow her to sleep with her but when he was here they would go to her bed. It wasn't that she didn't trust Jordan but she didn't want Scarlett to get too close to him and start thinking of him as a father figure, especially now Caleb was back.

She carried Scarlett to her bedroom and lay her down in her bed before getting in herself. She pulled the covers up and wrapped her arms around her baby girl, watching as her eyes slowly closed and sleep consumed her. It wasn't long before Hanna was doing the same and before long they were both fast asleep.

 **I know a lot of you didn't want Hanna to go back to New York but she's only there for the weekend so she hasn't taken Scarlett away from Caleb and I hope you liked the chat with Scar about her daddy. I promise that Hanna and Caleb with talk next chapter.**

 **Tell me what you think xxx**


	13. Chapter 13

"Hanna," Ashley called. "Can you give me a hand?"

"What is it mom?" She asked walking into the kitchen where her mother was.

"Can you help me bring in all the groceries from the car?" She asked, placing a plastic bag down in the counter.

"Quickly, I have to go and meet Claudia soon." She replied, following her mom out the back door to help.

"So how was New York?" Ashley asked once all the bags were inside.

"Fine. Why?"

"You rushed back so quickly I thought something might be wrong." She shrugged.

Hanna shook her head and started filling the fridge with the food Ashley had bought.

"Caleb called round on Saturday morning." She started, watching as Hanna looked up. "He brought a teddy for Scarlett and he wanted to talk to you." Hanna didn't say anything but grabbed a carton of milk and turned back to the fridge. "He seemed really down about something, do you know what it could be?" Ashley asked.

"No. Why would I?" Hanna asked, defensively folding her arms on her chest.

"You've been spending a lot of time with him and Scarlett, I just thought you might know."

"Caleb's an adult, he can look after himself. He doesn't need you throwing him a pity party." She snapped.

Ashley was slightly taken aback by Hanna's reaction. "Why are you being like this? He's the father of your daughter and someone you cared about a lot."

"Just admit it!" Hanna snapped again. "You like Caleb more then you like Jordan."

"What?!"

"You have never given Jordan a real chance. You compare every guy I have ever dated to Caleb."

"That's crazy, Hanna." Ashley had no idea why Hanna was acting like this. "I think Jordan's great I just don't know him as well as I know Caleb."

"Yeah, well how could you. You don't try to spend time with him."

"I have invited you both back on multiple occasions, he stayed here last week."

"You know what, forget it. I don't want to talk about this." Hanna muttered, picking up her bag.

"Has something happened between you and Caleb?" Ashley asked, suspicious of Hanna's behaviour.

"I have to go to work." Hanna replied walking out the back door. Ashley sighed and watched her leave. Now she was sure something happened between her and Caleb.

—–—–

"Hanna, stop daydreaming." Claudia waved her hand in front of Hanna's face and rolled her eyes.

"Sorry, I just..." She trailed off. "What did you say?"

Claudia rolled her eyes again and pointed to the corner of the shop that looked more like a building sight right now. "I said I want the dressing rooms in that corner and the tills over there."

Hanna nodded and typed Claudia's instructions into the notes on her phone. "When will my carpets arrive?" She asked.

Hanna's mind spaced. "Your carpets?"

"Yes Hanna. The carpets you ordered for me weeks ago, where are they?"

"Oh, yeah." Hanna shook her head. "They should arrive any day now."

Claudia started walking to the back of the shop when Hanna's phone started ringing. Claudia turned around and raised her eyebrows.

"Can I take it? I'll be really quick." Hanna asked.

"You have a minute." Her boss replied before she turned to one of the work men and started yelling at him.

She turned around and started walking to the door so she could talk in private. "Hello?"

"Hi," Caleb's voice filled her ear. "Your not busy are you? I wanted to talk."

"I'm at work but I can talk for a minute." She replied.

"Oh sorry, I thoughts you'd be on your lunch break." Caleb apologised.

"It's fine." Hanna told him. "What do you want to talk about?" She knew exactly what he wanted to talk about.

"Can we meet somewhere later so we can talk properly?" He asked.

"Yeah, what about the park at seven?"

"That's fine. I'll see you there." He replied before hanging up.

Hanna sighed and walked back over to Claudia. She still hasn't decided what she was going to do about Caleb. She could do what would be best for everyone but that wasn't what she wanted.

"Was it that hot fiancé of yours?" Claudia asked as Hanna approached her again. She could tell Hanna was deep in thought.

"No." Hanna shook her head.

"Your daughter?"

Hanna nodded her head reluctantly. "Her fathers back in town and..." She trailed off before she said something she shouldn't.

"And you still have feelings for him." Claudia finished her sentence for her.

"That obvious?"

Claudia nodded and gave her a sympathetic smile. When she wasn't going all crazy boss bitch she could actually be a nice person but that wasn't often. "Your young Hanna, you've got your life ahead of you. Do what your heart tells you is right."

—–—–

Hanna started to shiver as she made her way to the park. She had asked her mom to put Scarlett to bed whilst she ran an errand for Claudia, not wanting her to know she was meeting Caleb. This morning Hanna had lost it with her mother because she was worried that she would be able to see straight through her lies and over reacted. She knew that her mom didn't really compare Jordan to Caleb, that was her.

When they had first started going out together she had accepted that Caleb was gone and she wasn't going see him again but all she could think about was Caleb and what he would have done in that's situation. But after a while the pain of him leaving didn't hurt as much, she didn't forget about him though. How could she forget someone who gave her so much to remember?

She came to a stop when she spotted him already sat on a swing, gently swaying with his head resting against the metal chain. He brought his hand up to his lips and took a drag from his cigarette before slowly breathing out the smoke. His eyebrows were furrowed and she could tell he was deep in thought.

She cleared her throat and walked towards him. Caleb looked up when he saw her walking towards him and gave her a smile as she sat down in the swing next to him.

She didn't return the smile and he knew then that things weren't going to go the way he wanted them to go. If he was honest with himself he had known when she walked out of his apartment after they kissed exactly what was going to happen but some small part of him had held on to hope that he would be wrong.

"I'm sorry I ran out of your apartment on Friday. I know it was childish running away from the situation and going back to New York. I should have just faced you." Hanna began, talking quickly without any pauses and he could tell she'd rehearsed what she was saying.

She looked up at him watched him as he tossed away his cigarette, giving her his full attention. She knew exactly what he wanted to know so came straight out and said it. "I can't leave Jordan."

Even though it's what he had expected, Caleb still felt like someone had stuck a knife through his heart.

Hanna could visible see how much that hurt Caleb and wanted to cry at the fact she was causing him pain yet again, but it had to be done.

"Scarlett hasn't had much stability in her life until now and I don't want to take that away from that." She carried on, unable to meet his eyes, knowing that if he did he would be able to see straight through her.

Claudia had told her to follow her heart but every time she thought of Caleb she thought about how she had hurt him unintentionally six years ago and she didn't want to do it again.

"Don't you think she'd want her mom and dad together?" Caleb asked quietly.

"It doesn't work like that Caleb." She murmured, tears filling her eyes. If only it was that simple.

"Why not?" Caleb asked again.

"Because, we don't work together anymore." Her voice was shaking and she could taste her salty tears in her mouth. "Our lives are so different, especially now."

"We can make it work."

Hamas shook her head. "I keep replaying the night we broke up in my head and the look on your face as I closed the door. I hurt you so much and I'm not going to do that again." Tears were pouring down her cheeks now.

"I don't care, Hanna." Caleb tried but she shook her head again.

"I do. We argued all the time in New York and yet you would always be lying awake in the bed, waiting for me to come home. It's not fair on you, Caleb."

Caleb then understood that this had nothing to do with Jordan. It was about Hanna setting her feelings aside so she didn't hurt anyone. Typical Hanna Marin. "What are you so scared of?"

"I'm scared of getting my heart broken again. I'm scared of breaking your heart again and I'm scared of breaking Scarlett's heart." She almost shouted back at him. "I'm not going to put her through what I had to go through with my parents."

Caleb looked away for a few seconds before looking back at her. Why did she have to think about what other people before herself? "Your hurting me by doing this." He whispered.

"At least this way you have the chance to meet someone new, someone who makes you happy." She stared at her feet and tried to wipe away her tears without smudging her makeup.

When she looked up she realised Caleb was now stood right in front of her. "You make me happy, Han." His warm hand cupped her cold cheek and wiped away her remaining tears. She closed her eyes and felt his warm touch on her skin. Her cheek moulded perfectly into his big hand. She quickly pulled away from him before standing up.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, letting his hand drop from her cheek and started walking away.

Caleb just stood there for a few seconds unable to move or say anything that would change her mind. Then someone else came into his head. "Are you still going to let me see Scarlett?" He called turning around.

Hanna wasn't to far away and came slightly nearer. "Of course I am." That was all Caleb needed to hear for now. At least he would be with one of the two people he cared most about in this world.

He walked back over to the swings and sat down, watching as Hanna walked away. He didn't blame her for staying with Jordan. He had everything going for him: money, a good job, a big family. Instead he was stuck living in an apartment payed for by his mother with a family that had been stitched back together after being torn apart.

Hanna and Jordan should have been some super-couple. They both had the same interests and passions and worked in the same industry. The only thing they didn't have was returned love. And Caleb was well aware of that.

 **I hope you liked this chapter even though you wanted Hanna and Caleb together but don't give up hope. I cant wait for tonight's episode and I think that Caleb getting hit by the car is the dream and I really hope that they kiss this episode because I don't want to wait any longer.**

 **I found this Haleb video on youtube a few weeks ago and I cried. It suits this chapter so well so I suggest you go and watch it. Its called Miles and Miles by Jen.**

 **Xxx**


	14. Chapter 14

"Thanks for having me." Caleb smiled as Yvonne let him into the RV.

"Don't worry about it. We would have been eating turkey sandwiches for weeks if we didn't invite you." She smiled, taking the bottle of wine he had handed her and setting it on the table. "The turkey's nearly ready, I hope your hungry."

"Yeah, where's Toby?" Caleb asked.

"He's outside working on the house. Can you go and tell him dinners ready?"

"Okay." He headed outside and closed the door behind him. It was raining lightly as he walked around to Toby. "You don't take a day off do you?" He asked finding him with a hammer in his hand.

"Nope," Toby smiled. "Not even on Thanksgiving."

"It's looking good." Caleb said looking around at the ever growing house.

"I want to get it finished soon, so it can be an engagement present."

"When are you going to propose?"

"I don't know. I keep carrying it around waiting for the right time and when I think it's coming I just panic and chicken out." Toby chuckled slightly.

Caleb nodded. "The dinners ready now."

"Give me a hand?" Toby asked as he started putting all his tools away. Caleb picked up a drill and handed it too him.

When they were done they walked back to the RV where Yvonne had started plating up the food. "This looks good, babe." Toby smiled, getting two beers out of the fridge for him and Caleb.

"That because you weren't allowed near it." She smiled back. He just rolled his eyes and they all sat down at the tiny table.

Caleb picked up his fork to start eating but Yvonne interrupted. "Wait, we have to say what we're thankful for first."

"I'll start." Toby said, turning to look at Yvonne. "I'm thankful for my family, friends and my beautiful girlfriend."

"Me too." She smiled and leant over for a kiss.

Caleb watched them for a second and them stared down at his plate. He was thankful for every second he got to spend with Scarlett. She was his whole world now and her little smile always light up his day.

When Toby and Yvonne pulled away they noticed that Caleb had started eating so did the same.

"So Caleb, where does your family live?" Yvonne asked, a few minutes into the meal.

"All over really." He replied. "My moms in California and my dad moved to Texas a couple of years ago."

"Did you grow up in California?"

"No." He shook his head and looked down slightly. "I grew up in foster care."

"Oh," Yvonne swallowed.

Well that was a conversation killer.

"Where did you grow up?" He asked, trying to pick it back up again.

"In Philly. My parents moved here four years ago for a quieter life and to concentrate on the campaign." She answered.

"I'm not sure Rosewood offers a quieter life." Toby murmured and Caleb agreed. In all the places he had lived in growing up Rosewood was definitely the most eventful, even more than the gangs and criminals he was mixed up with in Allentown.

Maybe that was all because he had met Hanna Marin. If she had never come into his life his stay in Rosewood would have been short and simple.

He had thought about what his life would have been like without her many times when he was in Europe, but it never went further than a thought. He couldn't imagine never seeing her beautiful face or hearing her voice or watching her sleep. His life had started when he met her and she was the reason he had everything he had. He had his mother and father because of her and now he had his daughter because of her. Even though she was breaking his heart at the moment he still loved her and nothing would change that.

They carried in eating in silence for a while longer until Toby spoke. "How's everything going with Scarlett?"

"Not good." He mumbled back. "She broke her wrist last Friday when I was watching her."

"How did she do that?" Toby asked and Caleb noticed how concerned he looked. He was glad that she had a godfather who genuinely cared about her.

"She fell from the top of the slide and landed on her arm."

"What did Hanna say?"

"She actually wasn't that mad. She..." Caleb mind went back to that night. Their kiss was still playing on his mind and all he could think about was what her soft lips felt like against his.

"She what?" Toby asked.

"Nothing."

"She kissed you?" Yvonne piped up, having watched how Caleb pursed his lips.

Caleb just stared at her, wondering how she had manage to figure that out.

"She kissed you!" A smile appeared on Toby's face but it dropped as he turned to Yvonne. "How did you know?"

"I'm good at reading people." She shrugged.

"What about Jordan, have they broken up?" Toby asked.

Caleb sighed and shook his head. "She's staying with him."

"Why? She obviously doesn't want to be with him." Toby muttered.

"Hanna's not selfish enough." Caleb sighed again. "She thinks that she's going to hurt me and Scar if she doesn't stay with Jordan.

"He is loaded." Yvonne murmured, receiving an elbow from Toby.

"What are you gonna do man?" He asked.

"What can I do?" He shrugged. There was nothing he could do but wait and hope she changed her mind. "I'm going for a smoke."

Tony and Yvonne watched as he stepped out of the RV. "I feel bad for him." Yvonne said picking up the empty plates and setting them by the sink. "Hanna shouldn't play him around like that."

Toby nodded in agreement. "He lost everything when they broke up."

Caleb leant against the RV as he light his cigarette. He took a long drag and relaxed as the smoke filled his lungs.

He pulled out his phone and opened Hanna's contact. Maybe he should try harder to get Hanna back? Maybe he shouldn't have given up so easily? He stared at her number, silently debating with himself if he should call her.

Eventually he let out a long sigh and put his phone back in his pocket. She had made up her mind and that was that. He wasn't going to interfere and if they were me at to be together then that's what would happen. Now he would just concentrate on Scarlett.

—–—–

Hanna had barley spoken a word for the whole of the thanksgiving meal. She had just sat and listened to the conversation lead by Jordan and his parents.

"This house is huge." Ashley whispered as Jordan followed his parents into to kitchen. Hanna nodded. She was slightly overwhelmed by Jordan's parents house that was more like a mansion and by the look on Scarlett and her mothers face she could tell they were too.

"Scarlett no touching." Hanna warned as the five year old reached out to touch a very expensive looking glass vase. She instantly pulled her hand away and rolled her eyes.

Sticking out her bottom lip she stumbled back over to the sofa. "What's up Scar?" Ashley asked.

"It's boring." She mumbled. "I want to play with my dollies."

Hanna leant down and pull one of her barbie's out if her bag. "Please be carful." Scarlett grinned and ran over to the carpet to play with her barbie.

Ashley turned to Hanna. "How many times have you met his parents before?" She asked.

"Twice."

"What wrong Hanna?" Ashley asked, having hoped for more than the one word reply she received.

"Nothing, why?"

"You been quiet the whole time we've been here and shut down the conversation as soon as we started talking about the wedding." Ashley sighed. "This is about Caleb, isn't it?"

Hanna's head shot up. "How did you know?"

"Because your my daughter. I know you better than anyone." She

replied. Hanna looked down slightly and stared at her engagement ring.

"You didn't sleep with him, did you?" Hanna knew how she felt about cheating and she hoped her daughter hadn't made that mistake.

"No! We kissed that's all." Hanna whispered.

"It's still cheating."

"I know." She mumbled looking down.

"Does Jordan know?"

Hanna shook her head. "He doesn't need to know. We didn't mean to kiss, it was just..." She stared at her feet, unable to finish her sentence.

"What are you going to do then?" Ashley asked, when it was clear Hanna wasn't going to finish.

"I've already sorted it." Hanna snapped slightly, although she didn't mean to.

"If you don't want to through with the wedding then you should say so now." Ashley told her. It was clear that she still had strong feelings for Caleb, she knew they had left things unresolved in New York.

Hanna didn't reply. Her eyes glazed over as she watched Scarlett playing. All she wanted was for her to be happy and have the best life possible, even if that meant sacrificing her and Caleb's relationship.

Ashley notice the tears in her daughters eyes and understood what Hanna had chosen. She pulled her in for a hug and kissed her forehead. She had always known that Caleb still held part of her heart. She could see it every time she saw Hanna and Jordan together compared to when she had seen her with Caleb when they were teenagers. Caleb brought out a sparkle in Hanna's eyes that no one else could.

 **I hope you liked it even though there was no Haleb but I promise lots of Haleb and Scarlett next chapter.**

 **I haven't watched the new episode yet but I've watched next weeks promo and was screaming for all of it. I can't wait for the Haleb sec scene and I hope it long because the one in 6x06 was so short. I'm so glad we're finally getting one we deserve.**

 **Tell me if you would like a preview. XXXX**


	15. Chapter 15

"What time is Caleb picking you up?" Ashley asked as she gathered everything she would need for work.

"Any minute." Hanna replied pulling on her coat. She heard a car pull up outside and opened the door. "That's him."

They both watched as he walked up the path with his hands in his pocket and have them a small smile. "I'm not late, am I?"

"No, your just on time." Ashley smiled. "Before I forget," she mumbled, reaching into her bag. "Here you go." She handed Caleb the ticket.

"Are you sure you don't mind me taking your seat?" He asked. Scarlett's Christmas dance show was this evening and Ashley had very kindly offered Caleb her ticket so he could go and watch it.

"No, Caleb it's fine. I wouldn't be able to go anyway, half my staff are off sick so I'm working extra hours. At least Scarlett won't be upset now your there instead."

Caleb smiled gratefully and took the ticket from her. "Are you ready to go?" He asked turning to Hanna.

She nodded and made her way out of the door. "What about Scarlett?" Caleb asked confused.

"Oh, she had to be there an hour early to get their costumes on." She explained. "So it's just us."

Caleb nodded slowly. "Okay."

"Have a good time and send me pictures." Ashley called as they walked down the path to Caleb's car.

They were both silent as they got in the car and Caleb started the ignition. Tension filled the air as they both tried not to catch the other ones eye. Hanna really wished Scarlett was there because they always seem to go back to normal when she was around.

Ten minutes into the drive, Hanna couldn't stand the heavy silence anymore so asked the question that had been playing on her mind, hoping it would clear the air. "We're still friends, aren't we?"

Caleb turned to look at her and forced a smile. "Yeah, of course we are." His words totally contradicted how he felt. He could never just be friends with Hanna, he loved her too much to just be friends.

Hanna gave him a small smile back and nodded, hoping they would be able to get over the awkwardness, now that they knew where they stood.

"Nice car." She stated, looking around his Jeep.

"Yeah," He turned a corner. "It was a collage graduation present from my mom."

"You went to collage?" He never admitted it, but she had known when they moved to New York that he regretted going straight into work instead of getting the collage experience, like everyone else their age was.

"Yeah, in California."

"When did you go out to your mom?" She asked, trying to fill in the gaps of where he had been for the past six years.

"When I came back from Europe I stayed with her for a few years." He replied.

"I bet your brothers loved that." She smiled, knowing how much his brothers looked up to him. "How old are they now?"

"James is fifteen and Clay is thirteen."

"I remember when we first went to see them and they literally clung to your side for the whole week." Hanna chuckled. "It was sweet."

"Really? I remember them not leaving your side for the the whole week." He smiled. "I had to push them in the pool just to get five minutes alone with you."

Hanna laughed too and turned to look at him. Their eyes met and she instantly looked down. Caleb just cleared his throat and looked back at the road. "Sorry," She muttered. She couldn't even laugh with him without ruining it.

He shook his head slightly and forced another smile. "It's fine."

—–—–

It didn't take long for them to arrive at the dance studio and take their seats towards the back of the hall where the small stage had been set up. "What time does it finish?" Caleb asked as Hanna looked through the paper program, trying to find out when Scarlett was dancing.

She looked up at him and raised her eyebrows. "Seriously? Are you that bored?" She smiled.

He shook his head and laughed. "No, if it doesn't finish too late I was wondering if you wanted to go and get ice cream or something?"

She grinned at him. "Scarlett will love that." She held out the program for him. "Do you want to look?"

He took it from her and started flipping through. "How many kids are dancing?"

"Loads. Every age group has a dance and they they all do one together." She replied. "So get comfy."

"I thought Scar couldn't dance with her broken wrist?" He handed the program back to her.

"I talked to her teacher and they changed the dance so she doesn't use her wrist." She replied. "She had to learn it all in a week."

"Good job she gets her dance moves from her dad then." Caleb joked but instantly regretted it when Hanna didn't reply. He knew he had pushed it too far.

He turned to apologise when but saw her laughing. "She definitely doesn't get her dance moves from you."

He instantly smiled and let out a small sigh of relief. "I disagree."

"I don't. You've got two left feet, you always have." She smiled. "Besides, you've not seen her dance yet."

"Yeah, but she gets all her good genes from me so she has to have my dancing ability."

"Okay, Ill agree she gets her eyes and skin from you but definitely not her dancing." She laughed, unconsciously placing her hand on top of his arm.

Caleb noticed and looked down at where their bodies were making contact before looking back up at Hanna. She was looking into his eyes with the remains of her smile still on her lips.

Only the smallest amount of contact made her stomach fill with butterflies and she tried to push down all of her feelings that rose whenever she was around him. They had agreed to be friends for the sake of Scarlett and that's how they had to stay.

"Hanna!" A overly cheery voice caused them both to look away and she quickly removed her hand from his arm.

She turned around to see Sandra, one of the girls moms bouncing over to her. "How are you?" She asked, eyeing Caleb suspiciously before looking at the ring on Hanna's finger.

"I'm good." She smiled. "Sorry I missed the last dance rehearsal, work has been hectic this last week."

"Oh, don't worry about it." She smiled. "Kelly was wondering if she could borrow your skills in the back, some of the girls costumes need finishing touches."

"Yeah," she stood up and handed Caleb her bag. "I won't be long."

He watched as Hanna walked around to the back of the stage and disappeared out of sight. Then he looked up at the woman stood in front of him, looking him up and down. "I'm Sandra," She announced, holding her hand out for him. "Jasmine's mom." Caleb wondered how she could have such a high pitched, cheery voice but a scowl on her face at the same time.

"Caleb," he shook her hand, not really sure how to introduce himself. "Scarlett's dad."

"Her father? I was under the impression you weren't around." She furrowed her eyebrows and looked him up and down again.

"I wasn't until a few months ago."

"Scarlett's hasn't mentioned anything about you?"

"She doesn't know I'm her dad yet, we're taking thinks slow."

The woman sat down in Hanna's seat and he could tell she wasn't going away any time soon. "So are you and Hanna together..."

"No, we're just friends." He'd been using that word a lot lately.

"Oh," She nodded and just stared at him for a few seconds, like she was waiting for him to say something else but it wasn't coming. "I should go help back stage. Have a nice night." She finally said walking away.

Caleb shifted in his chair uncomfortably for a few seconds until she was gone. She was probably trying to figure out why he was sat here with Hanna when she still had Jordan's ring on her finger, which was what he was trying to figure out to.

Hanna finished the final touches to some of the older girls costumes and returned to her seat. Caleb turned to look at her. "If you working and you need someone to take Scarlett to dancing I can help."

"Oh, no I wasn't really working, I just got sick of sewing sequins onto leotards so I got my mom to take her."

Caleb couldn't help but laugh at her. "Well if you get sick of sewing sequins again then call me."

"I will." She smiled.

Another mom waved over at Hanna and she waved back. She noticed that her eyes lingered in Caleb for a few seconds before she turned back to the group of moms in front of her and began talking. "Their talking about us." She muttered rolling her eyes.

"Who?" Caleb asked looking around until he spotted the first group of women. "The blonde one was asking who I was before."

"They just stick their noses into your life and run off and spill to everyone else." She huffed. "Sandra's the worst."

"I thought Dance Moms were only like that on tv." Caleb rolled his eyes, thinking about how many times she used to make him watch that stupid show when they were younger.

"Nope." She leaned closer to him and lowered her voice. "They can't say anything about us though, see the brown haired one, Cath?"

Caleb nodded as he concentrated on the group of woman. "She's been having an affair with her gardener for two years now and her husband had no clue. And Sandra she walked in on her husband with another man a few months ago."

Caleb let out a quiet chuckle. "How do you know all that?"

"I told you, they love to gossip." She turned her head to look at him as he did the same, their faces just centimetres apart. His eyes scanned her face, lingering on her plump pink lips for a few seconds before he looked up to see she was doing the same.

The lights being dimmed broke they're gaze away from each other and Hanna cleared her throat as moved away from him, in to her seat properly. "Sorry." Caleb just shook his head and looked forward to the stage where some of the dancers were starting to make their way onto stage.

—–—–

Two hours later the grand finale was over and the children had been dismissed to their parents. Hanna spotted Scarlett walk out of one if the doors with her coat and backpack in her hand.

"You did so good baby." She smiled pulling her in for a hug.

"Stop mommy," She whined pulling away from Hanna. "My tutu's getting squashed."

Hanna laughed as she made a fuss of smoothing down her white snowflake costume. "Look who came to see your dance." She smiled standing up so she was next to Caleb.

"Hi Caleb, did you like my dancing?" She asked, jumping towards him.

"Yeah, you were very good." He smiled down at her. "Even with a broken wrist."

She looked down at her cast and then shoved it in his face. "Look, it's pink."

"I can see." He chuckled. "Is it getting better now?"

She nodded. "It doesn't hurt anymore but mommy says I have to keep the cast on 'till the doctors say I can take it off." Her little eyes rolled but she still had a huge grin on her face.

"Did you get the teddy I brought for you?" He asked.

"Yeah, grandma Ash have it to me. I put it with all my other teddies on my bed." She replied as Hanna helped her into her coat.

"Are you ready to go?" Caleb asked.

They both nodded and started walking to his car. When they arrived Hanna helped Scarlett into the back seat before she made her way around to the front.

Five minutes into the drive Hanna turned around to check on Scarlett and smiled when she saw her fast asleep, with her head resting against the window. "I think it's too late for ice cream now." She whispered turning to Caleb.

He looked up in his mirror the see Scarlett asleep and nodded. "I'll take you straight home then." Then he looked at Hanna. "I'm sorry about earlier, I just-" he began but was cut off.

"It's fine. It wasn't your fault." She forced another smile. It was just natural for them, to act like that and be so close to each other.

The rest of the ride was silent until Caleb pulled up at the Marin house and Hanna unclipped her seat belt. "Do you want me to bring her in so she doesn't wake up?" He offered, looking back to Scarlett who was still asleep.

She nodded and walked around to open the door for him as he lifted Scarlett out. He carried her the door as Hanna unlocked it and went inside. "You can take her upstairs, I'll just get her a drink."

Caleb nodded and started up the stairs. "Which room is it?" He called, as quiet as possible.

"The guest room." She replied, heading to the kitchen.

Caleb carried on up the stairs until he got to what was once the guest room, the room he had stayed in for a short time. The walls were still the same plain white but there was now splashes of bright pink everywhere.

He knelt down by her bed and pulled back the covers before lying her little body down. Then he carefully pulled her coat and tutu off leaving her in her leotard and wrapped the covers back around her.

He just watched for a while as her chest moved up and down with every breath she took. Her curly blonde hair was splayed out around the pillow and she looked beautiful, just like her mother did when she slept.

Quietly, he leant down and pressed a gentle kiss to his daughters head, his lips lingering there for a few seconds before he stood up.

Hanna closed the door behind her and placed the glass of water on Scarlett's bed side table before she turned on the lamp. Then she turned to Caleb who was stood at the door.

"Sorry we didn't get to go for Ice cream." She whispered. "We can go another time?"

"It's okay." He smiled looking over at Scarlett. "This was better."

Putting Scarlett to bed was something Hanna took for granted, doing it every night. Yet for Caleb it was something he had never done before and gave him a chance to grow closer to his little girl, even if she wouldn't remember.

"Thanks for everything today." She smiled at him as he made his way to the door.

"See you next week?"

"Yeah, I'll text you." She followed him out and stood at the top of the stairs as he walked down them. "Bye."

He looked up and waved. "Bye."

Once he was gone Hanna kicked her heels off and went in search of something to keep her mind off Caleb and their near kiss.

 **I think this is one of my favourite chapters to write and I hope you all enjoyed it. I know all of you want Haleb to be together and I promise you just have to be patient. tell me what you think and if you would like a preview. Xxx**


	16. Chapter 16

**Another quick update because wasn't Haleb perfect last night. I loved ever second and they're definitely getting marrid in 7b. Anyway, enjoy. Xxx**

"Caleb!" Scarlett squealed as soon as they walked into the Brew and spotted Caleb. Hanna watched as she let go of her hand and ran over to Caleb who was sat on the sofa, looking down at the laptop on his knee with his concentrating. He mustn't have heard Scarlett because he only looked up when she jumped into the sofa next to him. He grinned at her and set the laptop on the coffee table before looking up at Hanna and giving her a smile too.

She slowly walked over to them and say in the arm chair next to Scarlett. "Your not busy are you?" She asked, looking over at Caleb.

"No, I was just finishing something off for work. Your early for once?" He smirked.

"I know," she chuckled slightly. "My boss didn't need me to pick something up so I got away quickly."

Caleb leant forward and closed his laptop before turning to Scarlett. "What did you do at school today?" He asked.

"We made Christmas cards and wrote our lists to Santa." She grinned, pulling off her coat and hat.

Hanna noticed Caleb's empty coffee cup and stood up. "Do you want another coffee, I'm going to get one?"

He nodded and started pulling out his wallet. "No it's fine." She insisted, smiling. "What do you want Scar?"

"Hot chocolate!"

"Okay." Hanna smiled at her daughter and made her way to the till. She ordered their drinks and stood to the side to wait for them when she heard a familiar voice behind her.

"Hanna?"

She turned around to find Lucas stood behind her. "Lucas?" She gasped. "What are you doing here?"

"Didn't you see me waving? I honked at you." He smiled.

"Wait, that was you in the silver jag?"

"Well you can look a little less shocked." He chuckled.

"I'm not shocked, I'm impressed." She couldn't believe how far he had come from the awkward, nerdy kid he was in high school. "How are you? Last I here you were moving to Chicago."

"Seattle," He corrected her. "But I sold that company. I do game apps now." He watched as Hanna nodded, trying to act like she was mildly interested, which he knew she wasn't. "But hey, look at you." He pointed behind Hanna to where Caleb and Scarlett were sat on the sofa talking. "I always knew you two would end up together and now you've got a little family."

The smile on Hanna's face dropped a little. "No, no Caleb and I split up a few years ago. We're still friends though."

"Oh," Lucas nodded his head slowly and looked back at the little girl who was giggling with Caleb.

"And we have a daughter together." She added. "She's five."

Lucas pointed to the till as the waitress behind set the three drinks on the table. "I'll help you." He offered taking two of the drinks as Hanna paid the girl.

"No, you don't have to, I can manage." She smiled at him as picked up the other cup.

"No way, I want to meet little miss Rivers." He smiled and started walking over.

"Wait," Hanna called. "Her second name isn't Rivers." She told him reluctantly.

"Why not?"

"It's a long story." She mumbled

"I've got time." Lucas raised his eyebrows. He wondered what had happened between Hanna and Caleb that caused them to break up and why their daughter didn't have her fathers last name.

Hanna closed her eyes for a second, preparing herself to tell the story she had been recalling too much lately. "When me and Caleb broke up we didn't know that I was pregnant. Caleb went to Europe and when I did find out I couldn't contact him again so he only found out about Scarlett two months ago." Hanna barley paused between sentences as she looked up at Lucas. "Scarlett doesn't know that he's her dad yet, so can you not say anything about it."

Lucas just looked at her for a few seconds before he shook his head. "Of course." He gave her a reassuring smile. "Wow, a lot has happened since I last saw you."

She nodded her head as they walked over to Caleb and Scarlett. "Look who I ran into."

Caleb looked up and smiled when he saw Lucas stood next to Hanna. "Lucas, what are you doing here?" He asked standing up and patting his back, a little too roughly. The drinks in his hands spilled over the edge of the cups. "Sorry." Caleb held in a chuckle. He was still the same old Lucas.

"It's fine." He handed Caleb his coffee before turning to Scarlett. "You must be Scarlett." He smiled. "Did you order a hot chocolate?"

She laughed at him and nodded as he passed it to her. Then he took a seat in the empty arm chair next to Caleb.

"What are you laughing as Scar?" Hanna asked, helping her set her hot chocolate back on the table.

"His clothes are funny." She giggled, pointing to Lucas. Hanna had to agree. She wasn't a fan of his cream shirt and matching cardigan either.

Lucas just laughed it off. "Your definitely Hanna's daughter."

She leaned forward to pick up her coffee and noticed Lucas was looking at her engagement ring. "Wow, that's some serious bling." He smiled. "Who's the lucky man?"

Caleb's head instantly dropped and he concentrated on Scarlett, who was scooping all the marshmallows out of her hot chocolate and eating them.

"His names Jordan." She swalowed, not meeting anyones eye.

An awkward silence fell on them and Lucas instantly regretted asking about Hanna's ring. "Mommy," Scarlett spoke looking up at Hanna. "I need a pee-pee."

Hanna jumped at the opportunity to get away from the awkwardness and stood up taking Scarlett's hand. "We'll just be a minute."

"So," Lucas smiled over at Caleb. "You and Hanna have a daughter."

"Yeah," Caleb couldn't help but smile.

"Hanna told me that you only found out about her a few months ago," Lucas began cautiously. "What happened?"

The smile instantly dropped of Caleb's face and he looked at his feet before replying. "I was stupid and left my phone behind when we broke up. Hanna couldn't call me or find me to tell me she was pregnant." Lucas felt so bad for Caleb not knowing he had a child, especially with the childhood he had.

"I always thought you and Hanna would last forever."

"So did I." He mumbled. After everything they had been through from the very start of their relationship with Jenna to -A and Ravenswood he had never imagined that something as stupid as work would split them apart. He shook his head of those thoughts and turned to Lucas. "So, how have you been?"

"Good, really good." He replied. "I've got my own app company and everything's going great. What about you? I keep expecting to see your name come up at work but nothing yet."

"No, I work at Hollis." Caleb replied. "How long are you back here, anyway?"

"I'm back for Christmas to see my parents. Then I'm heading out to L.A."

"How are your parents?"

"They're good, I'll give them an update on you and Hanna. My mom is always asking if I've heard from you."

"Tell them I said hi." He said, spotting Hanna and Scarlett walking back over to them.

Lucas stood up once Hanna sat down. "I should get going."

"It was nice to see you Lucas, we need to keep in touch." Hanna smiled. "And I want to drive your car."

"Okay," he chuckled. "Bye Caleb."

"Yeah, bye." He smiled.

"Can we go get ice cream now?" Scarlett asked, once Lucas has walked away.

"Are your ready?" Hanna asked Caleb.

He nodded and picked up his laptop. "Let me put this in my car and we can go."

Hanna helped Scarlett in to her coat and then picked up her bag. They followed Caleb out to his car and waited whilst he put everything away. "Ready?"

"Yep." He smiled as they started walking down the street with Scarlett skipping ahead slightly.

They watched as she came to a stop and huffed before pulling off her hat and pushing her hair out of her face. "Scarlett," Hanna pulled out her stern voice. "You need to keep your hat on or you'll catch a cold."

"No mommy, it's itchy." She whined, skipping ahead again.

Hanna sighed and tiredly tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "Are you okay?" Caleb asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She smiled. "I'm just tired and she's got way too much attitude."

"If you want go back we can." He offered although it was the last thing he wanted to do.

"No, no It's fine." She smiled and glanced back at Scarlett. "She's been excited for this all day."

Caleb smiled too and watched Scar. She came running back up to them with her hat still in her hand and a smile on her face. "Can I have two scoops of ice cream?"

"If you put your hat on like your mommy asked, I'll get you two scoops." Caleb offered.

"Yeah!" She cheered, quickly pulling her hat on and taking Hanna's hand.

"Good girl." She smiled and watched as Scarlett subconsciously reached for Caleb's hand too.

His face lit up and he gave her hand a small squeeze as she looked up at him. "Can you swing me?" She asked.

Caleb nodded and then looked over at Hanna to see if she was okay with it too. "Only a few times." She nodded.

Scarlett instantly burst out giggling and they swing her into the air and her feet left the ground. "Again! again!" She cheered.

"That's enough now, Scar. On the way home we'll swing you."

"Okay mommy." She huffed and started skipping ahead again.

Hanna and Caleb followed closely behind her until Hanna's phone started ringing. Caleb watched as she pulled it out and rolled her eyes before declining the call and stuffing it back in her bag. "Who was that?" He asked.

"My boss, she thinks I can just drop everything and rush into work to sort something out for her."

"Haven't you finished for the day now?"

"Yep. But she likes to harass me at all hours." She rolled her eyes again. "But it's only until New Year and she won't be as stressed when the shop opens here."

Caleb's heart sunk. He had completely forgotten that Hanna and Scarlett would be going back to New York in a few weeks. "Your still going back to New York?" She nodded her head and looked straight forward at Scarlett. "What about Scarlett's school and her dance classes?"

"She knows that we're going back. She knew when she started school and dance that it would only be until Christmas break, then she would start a new school in New York."

"I thought you didn't want to unsettle her again?" Caleb asked.

"That's why we're going back Caleb. We can't live with my mom forever."

He sighed and rubbed his face. "Can we still meet every week? I don't mind driving up on every Friday."

"You can't drive all the way to New York every Friday evening, Caleb. It would take you hours."

"It's only three."

"Three hours there, three hours back."

"I don't care." He wasn't going to give in.

"I know you would, but you shouldn't have to." She sighed. It wasn't fair if he had to come and meet them every week.

"What do you suggest then?" He snapped.

"I don't know." She mumbled, looking down.

He felt bad for snapping at her and stopped walking. She turned to face him and he took a step forward. "Look Han, I don't care how far I have to drive. I'd drive across America to see you and Scar."

She nodded and looked up at him, biting her lip. "What about every Saturday then? That gives you more time to get to New York and more time with Scarlett."

He nodded and smiled. "Yeah, I'd like that." Hanna smiled back as they started walking again to catch up to Scarlett.

—–—–

"Maybe ice cream in December wasn't the best idea." Caleb chuckled as they looked down at Scarlett who was shivering as she piled spoons of ice cream into her mouth. Her nose was bright red and yet she still had a huge smile on her face.

"Is that good Scar?" Hanna asked, guiding her through a small crowd of people as they made their way home.

"Look!" She gasped, pointing up to the Christmas lights that were wrapped around a tree. "It's a sparkly tree."

"Are you excited for Christmas?" Caleb asked, walking beside her.

"Yeah, Santa's going to bring me lots of presents." She smiled.

"Come here." Hanna laughed, leaning down to wipe Scarlett's mouth clean from the ice cream. "Was that nice?"

Scarlett nodded enthusiastically and handed her empty cup to Hanna so she could put it in the bin. "What do you say to Caleb?"

"Thank you Caleb." She grinned, taking his hand again. "Can you swing me now?"

He looked over at Hanna again as she nodded and tightened his grip on Scarlett before they swung her into the air and she let out some lore excited giggles. His favourite sound. They swung her for a few more minutes until she let go of their hands and gasped. "Look! Its snowing!"

Caleb watched as tiny white flakes fell from the dark sky and onto Scarlett's waiting hand. It wasn't heavy enough to stick to the ground but enough to put a precious smile on her face.

Caleb turned to Hanna who gave him a warm smile before turning back to her phone where she was taking a picture of Scarlett and for the first time in years he was actually looking forward to Christmas again. He might only see Scarlett for an hour but that was all he needed to put a smile on his face.

 **Tell me what you think and if you'd like a preview. Xxx**


	17. Chapter 17

**The last few chapters have been really quick updates and I start collage tomorrow and I'm not too sure what to expect but I know that I'm no going to be able to update as regularly as much as I have for the past few weeks because I'm not on holiday anymore although I do have the next few chapters written out so hopefully the wait wont be too long.**

 **Guest- I'm still undecided if going to write a Haleb Baby 3. I think three would be too much but I kind of have an idea what I would do if I did write it. I think I'm going to wit until I finished writing this and see how I feel.**

 **Anyway, I have a feeling you'll like this chapter xxx.**

* * *

Chapter Seventeen

"Merry Christmas, Caleb." Ashley smiled at the chestnut-haired man as she let him inside her home on Christmas morning.

"Yeah, merry Christmas," He nodded, flashing her a quick smile. "I came to give Scarlett her present."

"Come on in," She said, leading him through to the living room where Scarlett was. Caleb looked around as he followed Ashley and took in all the decorations and the smell of the Christmas dinner cooking that was lingering in the air. He knew that Ashley wouldn't do things by half, especially at Christmas.

"Scarlett, Caleb's brought you a present." Ashley announced, as they entered the the room.

She was sat in the middle of the carpet surrounded by presents, with a huge grin that Caleb guessed wouldn't leave her face for the whole day. "Hi Caleb!" She grinned, jumping to her feet and taking the wrapped present straight from his arms.

"Hi," He smiled gently, taking a seat in the arm chair as she started ripping the paper off. He looked up to the sofa opposite and his eyes instantly locked on Hanna. She had made an extra effort today and was wearing a casual black dress and heals. She looked beautiful, as always. Their eyes met and she gave him a small smile before an arm wrapped around her shoulders and Jordan pulled her closer into his side, shaking Caleb from his thoughts. The smile on Hanna's face quickly dissolved into a static expression and she turned her attention to Scarlett.

"It's a horsey!" She squealed, holding up the plastic box with a toy horse inside.

"What do you say to Caleb?" Ashley asked her granddaughter.

"Thank you." She giggled, standing up and carrying it over to him. "Can you open it for me?"

"I'll get you some scissors." Ashley said, standing up and walking into the kitchen.

"Have you had a nice Christmas?" Caleb asked Scarlett, waiting for the scissors from Ashley.

She nodded her head and grinned. "Santa brought me lots of presents."

"What's your favourite?"

"My sparkly shoes." She smiled looking down at her the pink glittery dolly shoes on her feet. "And this." She placed her hand on top of the box on Caleb's knee and looked up at him with beaming eyes. He could tell she was itching to get it open and play with the pony inside. He had spent an hour in the toy shop the other day, completely stuck on what to buy until he remembered Scarlett saying she likes horses when he first met her. It may have costed fifty dollars but it was worth the huge smile it brought her precious face.

Scarlett let out a small gasp and she turned around and started rummaging through the many presents she had scattered on the floor. "I made you this," She told him, holding up a necklace made of wooden, heart-shaped beads on a pink ribbon. "Toby got me a jew'ry kit so I made you a pretty necklace because we didn't get you a christmas present." She explained, moving back over to him and placing it in his waiting hands.

"Thank you," Caleb couldn't help the stupid grin that spread across his face at the handmade gift she was giving him.

"You have to put it on," She giggled, taking it back from him and standing on her tip-toes so she could reach. Caleb ducked his head and helped her lip it on before he laughed a little too. "I have one too," She told him, holding up her wrist so he could see the bracelet she had made herself. "Now we're matching."

"We are," Caleb grinned again as Ashley reappeared with a pair of scissors in her hand.

"Here you go." She smiled, handing the to him.

He took them from her and noticed their was a black suit-case by the door, his mind started racing as he gulped and looked back over to Hanna with his eyebrows furrowed. He really hoped she wasn't going back to New York with Scarlett just yet since he felt like over the past few weeks Scarlett was really starting to get comfortable with him and he didn't want to ruin it. "Are you going back to New York?" He asked, nodding towards the suitcases by the door.

"Oh no, that's me." Ashley explained. "My cousins are having a small family gathering so I'm flying out tonight for a few days."

"But we are going back to New York later," Jordan interrupted. "We're seeing my family tomorrow." Caleb nodded slowly and looked at Jordan. He had an easy smile on his face with his arm still wrapped around Hanna's shoulder that made Caleb wonder if she's told him about their kiss. Jordan didn't seem to be looking at him any differently so he guessed not.

"It's only for a few days though." Hanna added quickly as Caleb started to work on the plastic packaging that was near impossible to open.

"Are you spending Christmas with your father, Caleb?" Ashley asked a she perched herself on the arm of the sofa opposite him.

"No he lives in Texas now so he's staying there for christmas." Caleb replied, knowing what conversation was coming next.

"What about your mom?"

"She's staying in California." He answered, cutting open the plastic.

"Who are you spending Christmas with then?"

"I'm just at my apartment." He murmured quietly.

"On your own?"

He looked down and concentrated on getting the toy out. "Yeah."

"No Caleb, you mustn't spend Christmas on your own." She sighed and he hated the pity in her eyes. "You can eat with us."

"No it's fine, I'll be alright." He shook his head, not wanting to make Hanna's christmas awkward and uncomfortable by his presence and it actually didn't bother him too much that he would be on his own- he was used to it on christmas day.

"No," Hanna spoke up, taking Caleb by surprise. "You should stay."

"Are you sure?" He asked apprehensively, looking between Hanna who gave him a small smile and Jordan who offered a simple nod.

"Of course we are." Ashley grinned." There's plenty of food to go around- actually I better go check on it."

She left the living room as Caleb pulled the last piece of plastic from the toy horse and handed it to Scarlett. "There you go."

"Can you play with me now?" She asked, sitting back on the carpet with her other new toys.

"Let me put these away first." He smiled and stood up with the scissors in his hand. Hanna too the opportunity to stand up too and quickly collected the wrapping paper off the floor before following Caleb out. She stopped him when they were in the hallway, out of her mother and Jordan's sight. "Thank you for bringing Scarlett a present, you didn't have to."

"I did." He nodded before forcing a smile. "Thanks for letting me eat here," He said. "I don't have to though, if you don't want me too."

"It's fine, really. Besides," She looked up into his chocolate eyes that brought back so many memories. "I know you spent enough Christmas's alone as a child so at least you can spend this one with Scarlett."

"Thank you." Caleb gave her a comforting grin before he noticed she was laughing at something. "What?" He asked confused.

"The pink matches your outfit." She chuckled, reaching out to straighten out the necklace Scarlett had made for him.

"Oh," Caleb laughed too. "I cant take it off or we wont be matching anymore." He grinned, reaching up to touch the necklace too but instead his fingers came in contact with the soft skin of Hanna's hand.

She didn't pull back though as she gave him a warm grin. "I think it's sweet." Their eyes met as he subconsciously trailed a delicate pattern along her hand as their gazes locked. She had been worried about him seeing Jordan again after their kiss but now she realised it wasn't Caleb saying something to Jordan she should worry about. It was her and Caleb reverting back to old ways as they stood in the middle of her mothers house like they used to ears before.

"Dinner ready!" Ashley called, interrupting their moment and creating an awkward one instead. Hanna jumped back as Caleb cleared his throat and they both made their way in to the kitchen before Jordan and Scarlett came through and saw something they shouldn't.

* * *

Hanna gently closed the door to Scarlett's bedroom, careful not to wake up the sleeping five year old after it had taken over an hour to get her to sleep. She put it down to all the Christmas excitement and the amount of chocolate and sweets she had eaten. She made her way to the kitchen to get a glass of water, wanting an early night herself after the journey back to New York from Rosewood.

She stood in front of the sink when she felt two arms wrap around her middle. "Is she asleep?" Jordan asked.

Hanna nodded and stepped away from him slightly. "I'm really tired, I'm going to bed now."

Jordan came up behind her again and lowered his head into the curve if her neck. "I like the sound of that."

She stepped away from him again, this time further so his arms fell from her waist. "I'm not in the mood." She mumbled picking up her glass of water.

"What's wrong Han?" Jordan asked. "You haven't been in the mood for ages."

"I'm just tired." She mumbled again, taking a sip of her water before placing down on the counter.

"Why don't we get away somewhere, like an early honeymoon." He suggested smiling but Hanna rolled her eyes.

"What about Scarlett?"

"She can just come with us."

"I don't want to go anywhere." She sighed again and took another sip of her water and glanced down at the ring on her finger.

"Tell me what you want then, you know I'd move heaven and earth for you, don't you?"

She nodded her head and turned around to face him. "I'm sorry." When she told him she was tired it was the truth, she was exhausted. Her whole life was filled with fake smiles that covered up how she really felt and it was draining. She didn't want to carry on like this and there was only one solution. Without hesitation she slipped the diamond ring off her finger and handed it back to him. Jordan's mouth fell open and he looked at the ring before back at Hanna. "I can't keep stringing you along and pretending that everything's okay, because it's not. I can't marry you." She started to walk out if the kitchen but Jordan stopped her.

"What are you doing Hanna?"

"I told you, I don't want to marry you anymore."

"Your just saying that because you've been spending a lot if time in Rosewood. Once you come back to New York everything will get better." He pleaded.

She shook her head again. "No it won't. I'm sorry but I can't keep doing this."

"Doing what?"

She sighed and closed her eyes. "It's too hard to pretend to love you when I don't but it's harder to pretend that I don't love someone when I do."

"What do you mean?" Jordan asked, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

She looked down as a single tear ran down her cheek. "Caleb."

"What do you mean Caleb? You ended years ago Hanna, he left you."

"No he didn't!" She raised her voice but immediately lowered it incase Scarlett heard them and woke up. "You have no idea what happened with us."

Jordan scoffed and shook his head. "Does he know how you feel?"

"Yes, I-I don't know." She stuttered running her hand along her forehead. She was really make a mess of this. "We kissed but-"

"You kissed him?" He yelled. "When?"

"The night Scarlett broke her wrist. I didn't mean to I just- I couldn't help it."

Jordan didn't say anything he just let out a long sigh and tossed the ring onto the counter.

"I'm sorry." She apologised one last time before quickly walking out of the kitchen and heading to Scarlett's room.

She grabbed some clothes before kneeling down by her daughters bed. She pulled back the covers slightly and ran her hand over her soft cheek. "Wake up Scar."

"Mommy," She grumbled, still half asleep. Hanna sat her up in the bed and placed a kiss on her head.

"Wake up baby." She whispered, helping Scarlett out if the bed and then lead her out of her bedroom. She grabbed her coat and slipped on her shoes before stuffing the clothes she picked up into her bag and headed for the front door.

"Mommy, I'm tired." Scarlett whined, holding her hands up to be carried.

Hanna lifted her up and pressed another kiss to her head as she snuggled into her. She felt bad, having pulled Scarlett from her bed on Christmas night to drag her from one state to another, but she couldn't stay there any longer.

It didn't take long for her to hail a cab and they were on their way back to Rosewood. "Where are we going Mommy?" Scarlett asked as she cuddled into her teddy and Hanna wrapped her coat around them both to keep them warm in the back seat of the taxi.

"Home."

* * *

 **She finally left Jordan!**

 **The next few chapters are my favourite and I cant wait for you to read them. Tell me what you think and if you'd like a preview. Xxx**


	18. Chapter 18

**The wait wasn't as long as I thought it would be and you probably guessed where Hanna and Scarlett end up so enjoy and tell me what you think xxx**

Caleb was woken up when he heard a knocking on his door. He rubbed his eyes and rolled into his back as he herd another knock. Pulling back the covers and climbing out of bed he walked over to the door and opened it to find Hanna stood there with Scarlett asleep in her arms.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

"My moms already gone to the airport and she doesn't have a spare key and I don't have anywhere else to go." She replied, shifting Scarlett on her hip.

Hanna's hair was wet and her coat was wrapped around Scarlett, who was in her pyjamas. "Here," Caleb said leaning forward to take Scarlett out of her arms and into his own. "Come in."

Hanna closed his door behind her and followed him to the sofa. "How did you get here?" He asked.

"Taxi." She replied, watching as his eyebrows raised and looked at her wet hair. "I walked here from my moms."

Caleb nodded and carried Scarlett to his bed, lying her down and pulling the covers over her. Then he turned to Hanna. "Do you want anything to drink?"

"Do have anything warm?" She asked, shivering slightly.

"I have coffee?"

"That's fine." She smiled.

Then he opened a draw by his bed and pulled out a hoodie and some sweat pants. "You should change out of your wet clothes."

Hanna took them from him and smiled before walking to the bathroom. He wondered what had happened for her to be with no where to go on Christmas night and he couldn't help but wonder if something had happened with Jordan.

He tried to control the smiled on his face that appeared when she came out if bathroom dressed in his clothes again. "Your coffees done." He said placing it on the table.

"Thanks." She smiled sitting down next to him on the sofa and reaching for her coffee. "Sorry for waking you up in the middle of the night."

"Don't worry about it." He smiled as she brought the cup up to her lips. Then something caught his eye- or didn't catch his eye. He noticed she wasn't wearing her engagement ring.

She saw Caleb was looking at her hand and quickly set the cup down. "I broke up with Jordan."

Caleb didn't really know what to say. He hoped his face hadn't shown how happy he was to hear that. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," She nodded. "It's just weird being so close to someone and then having to cut them out of your life completely. It's like loosing a limb or something- a part of you."

Caleb watched her as she spoke. As glad as he was that she had finally ended things with Jordan, it hurt that she felt like that about it. He swallowed as she looked at him. "It will get better, Han."

She shook her head as their eyes locked on each other. "I'm not talking about him." She didn't care about Jordan, they had broken up hours ago and yet she was still thinking about her breakup with Caleb, six years later.

Neither one of them broke the eye contact, waiting for the other to make a move. Caleb so desperately wanted to kiss her but Hanna had to make the first move and let him know how she felt. She was the one that had only just got out of a relationship so it all had to be her choice.

"Are we still friends?" She asked, her voice a whisper.

It wasn't what he wanted but he respected it, maybe she just needed some time. "Always."

It wasn't what Hanna wanted to hear either. He wasn't supposed to agree to be friends he was supposed to tell her he wanted more, but maybe that wasn't what he wanted after all. She sighed and broke away from his glance.

"You can sleep in my bed tonight." Caleb said standing up.

"Are you sure?" She asked.

"Yeah," He looked over at Scarlett who was still fast asleep in the bed. "She looks too comfy to move her anyway."

"Where are you going to sleep?"

"I'll just go on the sofa." He shrugged.

Hanna nodded and stood up. "I think I'm gonna go to sleep now, I'm really tired."

Caleb pulled out a blanket from his drawer. "Wake me up if you need anything."

"I will." She said pulling back the covers on his bed and climbing in. "Night."

"Night." Caleb called back, lying on the sofa and pulling the blanket over himself.

Hanna checked Scarlett was warm enough next to her before she settled into the pillows with Caleb's scent wrapped around her on the duvet. Her hair was still damp so she pulled his hoodie up and brought it to her nose. She loved wearing his clothes, she always had. It was something about his scent that always calmed her, no matter what.

Her eyes slowly closed and for the first time in months she fell straight to sleep, without worrying or doubting the choices she had made.

—–—–

Hanna's eyes fluttered open the next morning. She furrowed her eyebrows and rubbed her eyes as she tried to figure out where she was. It all came back to her when she saw a shirtless Caleb pulling on some jeans on the other side of his apartment.

He turned around and she sat up, bringing herself to his attention. "Morning." He smiled walking over to her. "Did you sleep good?"

"Yeah, actually I did." She replied, her eyes dropping down to his bare chest. "What time is it?"

"Half nine." He replied, smirking when he saw where her eyes were. She blushed a little and bit her lip, knowing she'd been caught. "I'm going to the shop to get some stuff for breakfast." She nodded as he pulled on a t-shirt. "There's some towels in the bathroom, you can have a shower if you want."

"Okay," she smiled slipping out of the bed and stepping towards him. Before she knew what she was doing her arms were wrapped around his waist and her head was leaning on his shoulder. Caleb hugged her back just as tightly, taking in what it felt like to hold her in his arms again until she pulled away and he instantly missed the feeling of her arms around his body.

"Thank you for letting us stay here." She looked up at him shyly. "I don't know what I would've done if you didn't."

"You did the same for me along time ago." He smiled. "You can stay here as long as you want."

"It won't be long, my mom comes back the day before New Year's Eve."

"Are you going to call her?"

"No," She shook her head. "She'll just worry and come straight back and I want her to enjoy herself."

"Okay," Caleb nodded and Hanna flashed him a grateful smile as he picked up his phone and wallet. "What do you want for breakfast?"

"You don't have to buy anything special, we'll just eat whatever you have in." She shrugged.

"All I have in is the leftover Christmas dinner your mom sent me home with yesterday."

"Shit," Hanna muttered. "I completely forgot it was Christmas yesterday." She turned to look at Scarlett who was still fast asleep, probably very tired from last nights journey here. "She's going to be upset, I left all her presents at Jordan's apartment."

"Did you bring anything last night?" Caleb asked.

"I just stuffed some clothes in my bag and ran." She replied, regretting that decision now. She really should have thought this through.

"You ran away from him?" Caleb furrowed his eyebrows. "He didn't hurt you did he?"

"No." She shook her head again. "No, I just didn't want to stay there anymore, but now I'm going to have to go back anyway."

"What clothes did you bring?" Caleb asked, he was desperate for them to stay with him for as long as possible.

Hanna walked over to her bag and pulled out the clothes. It was dark when she packed them and couldn't remember what she had packed. She pulled out a some of Scarlett's leggings, a top and her pink converse. "Just some of Scar's clothes. I only have the clothes I was wearing yesterday."

"Why don't you just leave it till tomorrow? You can borrow some more of my clothes." He suggested.

She nodded shyly and bit her lip. "Okay,"

"You didn't answer my question before, what do you want for breakfast?" He asked smiling.

"What about eggs and bacon?" She suggested.

"I can do that." He grinned pulling on his jacket. "Call me if you need anything."

"Okay." She smiled, watching him close the door behind himself. She walked back over to the bed and checked on Scarlett again before deciding to go for a shower.

—–—–

Hanna stepped out of the shower a few minutes later and could hear a quiet whimpering. She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around herself before quickly exiting the tiny bathroom. Scarlett was sat up in Caleb's bed with tears streaming down her face as she coughed and started spluttering. "Mommy?" She cried.

Hanna darted over to her and pulled her in for a hug. "I'm here, I'm here." She soothed, rubbing her back.

She realised now that it was a very bad idea to leave Scarlett to wake up in an unfamiliar apartment, alone. Her little girl was probably scared out of her mind.

"I was just in the shower, okay. Don't cry baby." She lifted Scarlett up and sat down on the side of the bed with her sat on her knee. "Did you get scared?" She asked, leaning forward to press a kiss to her forehead.

Scarlett nodded and gripped onto Hanna's arm. "I'm so sorry baby." She soothed again, pulling her tight against her body.

The front door opened and Caleb walked through with a small smile on his face that instantly dropped as soon as he saw how upset Scarlett was. "What happened?" He asked, setting the bag of food down on the counter and walking up to them.

Scarlett flinched when Caleb spoke and looked up. "It's just Caleb." Hanna smiled, tucking some of her hair behind her ear so she could see him properly. "This is where he lives."

"Are you okay?" Caleb asked softly, sitting next to Hanna on the bed and leaning forward to take Scarlett's fingers that were sticking out the bottom of her cast into his own.

She nodded and leant her head against Hanna's chest, giggling slightly as he bounced her small fingers in his. "Do you want some breakfast?"

She nodded and sat up. "I'm hungry." She stated.

Hanna smiled and wiped away her remaining tears. "Would you like some bacon and eggs?" Caleb asked.

"I don't like eggs."

"What about a bacon then?" She nodded her head eagerly and jumped off Hanna's knee. "Why don't you help me." Caleb suggested as he lead her over to the kitchen area and lifted her into the counter.

"I'm just gonna get changed." Hanna said, holding the towel around her as she walked back to the bathroom.

She looked back at Scarlett and smiled as she squeezed an excessive amount of ketchup on her bread and just Caleb laughed at her. For the first time ever they felt like the family she had always wanted them to be.

 **I hope you all liked it and I know your probably just waiting for Haleb to get together now and all I have to say is patience. Leave a review and tell if if you want a preview xxx**


	19. Chapter 19

Caleb's eyes slowly opened as he heard his name being whispered. He opened them fully and saw Hanna stood in front of him, dressed with her coat and shoes on. "Are you okay?" He asked, his voice still rough from sleep.

"I'm going back to New York to get some clothes and Scarlett's toys and stuff." She replied standing up next to him.

"Do you want me to drive you?" He asked sitting up in the sofa and pushing the blanket off himself.

"No, It's fine. I've called a taxi."

"Are you sure? I don't mind driving you."

She shook her head again and looked over to the bed where Scarlett was sleeping. "Can you look after Scar whilst I go?"

Caleb looked over at Scarlett and slowly nodded. Last time he had looked after her she had broken her wrist and that had only been for ten minutes. He didn't know what would happen if he looked after her for the whole day.

"You'll be fine, don't worry." Hanna gave him a reassuring smile having seen straight through his expression. "Call me if you need anything."

"Okay," He nodded as she made her way to the door. "Be careful."

She flashed him a smiled before opening the door. "I will."

He sat back on the sofa and looked over to his bed where Scarlett was sleeping. The duvet moved slightly and she out a sigh which figured was her waking up. He slowly stood up and walked over so she would have a familiar face when she woke up, remembering how upset she had been yesterday morning.

Her eyes were open and she blinked before letting out a yawn. "Morning." Caleb smiled, sitting himself in the edge of the bed.

She gave him a lazy smile and sat up. "Where's mommy?"

"She's gone back to New York to get some of your things." He explained. "So I'm looking after you today, is that okay?"

She grinned at him and nodded. "We can have fun without mommy being all bossy."

"We can." He chuckled, watching as she started looking around the bed with her eyebrows furrowed. "What's up?"

"I can't find Mr Cuddles." She huffed.

Caleb looked around for her teddy as well before he lifted up the duvet and smiled. "Your sat on him."

"Oh, yeah." She giggled, pulling it out from underneath her. The teddy immediately caught Caleb's eye as she cuddled into it.

Wrapped around it looking worn and scruffy was his red shirt. The same one he had worn when he told Hanna he was staying in Rosewood for a while, when he was living in her basement and the same one he had worn the first Christmas they spent together. He didn't know how he hadn't seen it when Scarlett and Hanna arrived at his doorstep but guessed he was a little distracted.

"I like your teddy." He muttered reaching forward to touch his red shirt. "Where did you get this?"

"It was my daddy's. My mommy kept it when they broke up." She replied. Caleb was curious and wanted to know what else Hanna had told Scarlett about him.

"Does your mommy ever talk about your daddy?" He asked.

"Not a lot because it makes her cry, but she said that if he knew me he would love me lots and lots." She smiled. Hanna couldn't be more right about that.

"Does it make you sad that you don't know him?" He asked, bracing himself for the answer.

"Yes." She nodded. That broke Caleb's heart. He had hurt his daughter without even knowing it. He had done to his little girl what was done to him a long time ago and he would never forgive himself for that.

He's thoughts were interrupted by Scarlett pushing the covers back and slipping out of the bed. "I'm getting dressed." She told him.

"Do you need any help?" He asked as she collected her clothes from the top of the drawer.

"I can do it by myself." She told him, placing a hand on her hip.

"Okay," Caleb chuckled standing up. "I'll make us some breakfast."

—–—–

"What would you like for dinner?" Caleb asked Scarlett as he stood in front of his open fridge.

"I dunno." She shrugged, running over to him and going up on her tip toes to see into the fridge.

"What about a cheese sandwich?"

She shook her head. "I don't like cheese."

"Ham?" She shook her head again. He looked back into the fridge to find something else he could feed to his fussy daughter. "Jam?"

"Okay," she mumbled as a smile slowly crept into her face. "Can I have a can of coke?" She asked pointing to the red can at the back of his fridge.

"Does your mommy let you have coke?" He asked.

She nodded with a cheeky grin plastered to her face and looked up at him with her big brown eyes. Caleb shook his head and gave in to her puppy dog expression, pulling out the can and pouring it into a cup. Then he got to work making her jam sandwich.

"Here you go." He smiled, placing the plate on the coffee table where she was sat. "Is it good?"

She nodded eagerly, took another bite and placed it down on the plate before carefully picking up her glass of coke.

Caleb watched and she took a small sip and a smile instantly spread all over her face. She took another one and let out a giggle before putting the cup down again. "It's fizzy."

He smiled at her and started doubting if Hanna really let her have fizzy drinks but it was too late now, she was having way to much fun with it.

"What's that?" She asked, pointing to his cigarette packet as she picked up her sandwich again.

"It's nothing." He replied leaning forward to pick them up off the coffee table but was beaten to them by Scarlett.

"It's not nothin'" she giggled, opening the packet. "It's them things you put in your mouth."

"They're cigarettes." He said, quickly stealing the packet off her and stuffing it in his pocket. "They're bad for you."

"Why do you have them if they're bad for you? You should put them in the bin." She asked with a mouth full of bread.

"I know." Caleb muttered.

"Caleb," Scarlett said tapping on his knee. "I'm finished."

He took the empty plate from her and stood up. "Do you want anything else to eat?"

She shook her head and picked up her coke again. He walked back over to the kitchen and placed the plate by the sink before looking over at Scarlett. She was completely mesmerised by the princess on the tv before something caught her attention ask she leaned forward.

"You've got a text, Caleb." She called, waving his phone in the air.

"Who is it from?" He asked, walking back over.

"Mommy." She replied, not looking up from his phone as she typed random emojis in to the reply box and sent it. "I sent a kissy face."

Caleb chuckled but realised Hanna would think it was from him so quickly took his phone off her. He unlocked it and read Hanna's text.

 _How's everything going? Won't be much longer now x_

He let out a huge smile as he read the text with the kiss at the end. "What are you smiling at Caleb?" Scarlett asked.

"Nothing." He replied quickly as he texted Hanna back.

 _The last text was from Scar, everything's going great xx_

"Can I play on your phone?" Scarlett asked.

He nodded and handed it to her. "I don't have many games."

"Can we listen to music?" She asked.

"If you want to."

"Can you put Katy Perry on?" She asked, giving him his phone back.

"I don't have any Katy Perry music on my phone." He chuckled slightly.

"Why not?" She asked, as though he had committed a crime. "My mommy likes Katy Perry."

"I know she does." He couldn't help but smile at all the memories that came flooding back of Hanna dancing crazily to her favourite music. "And Justin Bieber."

"Yeah!" Scarlett gasped. "Put Justin Bieber on."

"No way." Caleb laughed, opening up his YouTube app. "Katy Perry, I can just about put up with, but no Justin Bieber."

"Okay," She sighed but smiled again when he handed her his phone so she could pick which song.

—–—–

Hanna walked up the hall to Caleb's apartment with her hands full of bags of clothes and toys. Her ears pricked up when she heard the faint sound of Katy Perry's Firework playing. She opened the door to his apartment and saw Scarlett holding onto Caleb's hands as she jumped up and down to the music, trying to sing along at the same time.

She set all of her bags down and watched them for a few seconds as the song came to an end and Scarlett spotted her standing by the door.

"Mommeee," She squealed, running up to her and flinging her self into her mothers arms.

"Hi baby, have you had a good time with Caleb?" She asked, laughing at how hyperactive Scarlett was.

"We was dancing to Katy Perry." She grinned.

"I know," Hanna smiled back. "I saw you."

Caleb walked over to them as Scarlett wriggled out of Hanna's arms and started running around the apartment, jumping onto his sofa and then off it again.

"Okay, what have you given her?" Hanna laughed, "I've never seen her so hyper before.

"Nothing." Caleb tried but he knew it was no good. "I might have let her have a can of coke." He pursed his lips.

"A full can?" She asked and he nodded. "Was diet?"

He shook his head. "She did this thing with her eyes and I couldn't say no." He tried to defend himself.

"I know what you mean." She smiled, watching as Scarlett flopped down into the bed. "Scar, come and look at what I brought." She called.

Scarlett ran over and took the black bin bag from Hanna before she tipped it upside down and emptied all the toys inside into the floor. It didn't take long for her to submerge herself in the dolls and cuddly toys.

"Sorry," Hanna laughed slightly as they stepped over Scarlett's toy pile with the other bags full of clothes.

"How was your journey?" Caleb asked, helping her unpack some of the clothes into the drawer he had cleared.

"It was fine, there wasn't much traffic."

"What about Jordan? Did you see him?"

She shook her head. "He must be at his parents. I just quickly picked up some clothes and toys and headed straight back out."

Caleb nodded and looked over at Scarlett who was back to charging around his tiny apartment. "Do you want to go to the park so she can run off some energy?" He suggested.

"Sound like a good idea." She smiled, standing up. "Scarlett, come put your coat on we're going to the park." She called.

"Is Caleb coming?" She asked, running over to them to get her shoes.

"Yep," Hanna answered. "He's the reason you so giddy so he's not ditching me now."

"Wouldn't dream of it." He laughed.

It didn't take too long for them all to get their coat and shoes on and head out to the park. Scarlett was skipping ahead of them slightly, mumbling to herself as Hanna and Caleb watched her.

"Mommy," Scarlett called running over to them. "When are we going back to New York?" She asked.

Hanna sighed and took Scarlett's hand as they walked. "We're not."

"But where are we going to live?"

"When Grandma Ash comes back we can live with her but for now we're staying with Caleb." She explained.

"Is Jordan stayin' with Caleb too?" She asked innocently.

"No baby, me and Jordan aren't getting married anymore."

"Why not?"

Caleb saw Hanna's eyes glance at him for a split second before she turned back to Scarlett. "Because I don't want to marry him."

"So your not going to be called Hanna hobo anymore?"

Caleb couldn't help but let out a laugh at Scarlett comment and turned to Hanna. "His last name was hobo?"

"No," She rolled her eyes as Scarlett let go of her hand and skipped off ahead again. "It was Hobart."

"Close enough." He muttered receiving a slap on the arm.

They carried on walking and something came into Caleb's head. "Scarlett showed me her teddy today," He began. "The one with my shirt on."

Hanna glanced down at her feet. "Yeah, you left it behind in New York. I think you must of forgotten it."

"And you kept it all these years?" He couldn't help but smile.

"It was the only thing of yours I had left." She muttered. "Apart from Scarlett."

"How did it end up on her teddy?"

 _... "Please stop crying, baby." Hanna almost cried herself as she bounced Scarlett in her arms._ _The three month old had been crying for over an hour now and Hanna had tried everything to get her to stop._ _Usually her mother would be there to help but she was at work today meeting with someone about The Radley. "Shh, don't cry Scar." She tried again, but Scarlett only screamed louder._

 _Hanna took a deep breath and looked around her bedroom until her eyes fell on Scarlett's pink fluffy blanket in the corner of the room._ _Carefully, she lay her baby in the middle of the double bed and reached for the blanket. Bringing it up to her nose she caught a smell of baby vomit and threw it by the door on the accumulating wash pile._

 _She moved to her draws searching for another clean blanket to swaddle Scarlett in, about to loose hope when she spotted a flash of red at the bottom of the drawer and pulled it out. Her eyes filled with tears as she realised what it was._ _She brought it to her nose and closed her eyes. It still smelt like him. An image of him buttoning it up as he walked over to her and kissed her lips filled her head and made her eyes water._

 _Scarlett loud cries brought her attention back to her daughter and she walked back over to the bed. She lay the shirt flat and moved Scarlett onto it so she could wrap it around her._

 _Scarlett's cries instantly quietened as her skin came in contact with the soft fabric and her fathers scent wrapped around her..._ _..._

"I think it calmed her because it smelled like you." Hanna explained. "Ever since then whenever she was really upset I would swaddle her in it until she was too big and then I put it on her teddy."

Caleb let out a sharp breath as he kept his eyes locked on Scarlett. All he could think about was how it shouldn't have been his old shirt that comforted her and made her feel safe. It should have been him.

All the times his shirt was wrapped around her tiny body it should have been his arms and every time she fell asleep next to the teddy with his shirt on, it should have been his body she was tucked up into.

"I think that's why she bonded with you so easily, because she's always had a part of you with her." Hanna couldn't stop the tear that rolled down her cheek.

Caleb noticed it and stopped walking, his hand cupped her cheek and his thumb wiped away her tear. She looked up into his eyes and saw they had tears in too. Without thinking she wrapped her arms around him and and pressed her cheek to his shoulder as his hand ran along her shoulder and down her back. She breathed in his scent as her arms wrapped around his back too, holding him as close as possible.

For a second she let herself go and pulled back slightly to see Caleb was looking at her lips. His head moved forward so it was touching hers and their noses bumped. His hand came to cup her cheek and she looked up at him through her thick eyelashes to watch as his eyes slowly traveled up her face to meet hers. They made eye contact for a split second before she abruptly pulled away from him and walked down the street after Scarlett, too scared to look back.

Caleb furrowed his eyebrows and tried to stop her but it was no good. She had built up walls and every time he thought he had broken through them she added another layer of bricks to set him back. He was starting to loose hope that Hanna would ever let him in again.

 **I spent the whole weekend writing so I thought I'd update. I've been saying this a lot but this is my favourite chapter so far. I love writing Scarlett and Caleb together and thank you to KindofCrazy for all your help xxx.**

 **I hope your not getting too frustrated by Hanna and Caleb but I promise it will come.**

 **Let me know if you want a preview xxxxx**


	20. Chapter 20

Caleb walked back into his apartment after his morning smoke, which he now had to have outside, to find Hanna and Scarlett awake and sat at his kitchen island with bowls of cereal in front of them. He looked around his apartment as he made his way over to them and it was a mess. Scarlett's toys were scattered everywhere, the drawers were overflowing with clothes; most of them Hanna's and the pile of washing by the sink seemed to increase every time he looked at it. But he didn't care. He had the two people he cared most about with him and that's all that mattered. "Morning," He smiled, grabbing some bread and putting it in the toaster to make him self some breakfast.

"Morning," Hanna replied, not looking up from her phone that hadn't stopped vibrating since he walked in.

"Someone's popular." He remarked when her phone finally stopped.

"Someone's been trying to get hold of me all morning." She rolled her eyes and leant her head on her hand. "It's really annoying."

"Who is it?" Caleb asked, taking his toast out when it popped up.

"I don't know, the numbers not saved on my phone."

"Is it Jordan?" Caleb asked and she shrugged. "There's only one way to find out then." He said, leaning forward as he phone started ringing again and answered it.

"What are you doing?" She asked him as he brought the phone to his ear.

"Hello, Hanna's phone?" He shot her a smirk, ready to deal with whoever was harassing her this early in the morning. He had a hunch it could be Jordan. He could have bought a burner phone so she would pick up and he wanted him to know exactly where Hanna was. But he was wrong, very wrong.

"Hanna!" A sharp voice bellowed down the phone. "Where the hell are you? The shop opens in three hours and you've disappeared on me. You need to get here now!"

Caleb just pulled the phone from his ear and handed it to Hanna. "Hello?" She answered but instantly straightened up when she heard who I was. "Hi Claudia..." All if the tiredness from her voice disappeared in a second and she shot off the stool. "I'm coming now... I'm so sorry... I completely forgot." She ended the call and threw her phone into the counter. "Shit," she mumbled, racing over to the drawers to find something to wear. "Shit, shit, shit."

"Mommy said a bad word." Scarlett pointed out, looking up from the bowl of coco-puffs she had been quietly eating.

"Mommy said a few bad words." Caleb remarked, watching in amusement as she raced to his bathroom to start getting changed.

He turned his attention back to his toast and started buttering it, before he took a bite and cleared away the bowl of cereal Scarlett had finished with.

It want long until Hanna came back out, dressed and with her make up half done. "Can you call me a cab to Philly?" She took a moment to catch her breath as Caleb pulled his phone out. He nodded and watched as she filled her bag with everything she would need and slipped her heals on. "All done." He said, placing his phone back in his pocket.

"Thanks," She breathed. "Can you look after Scar again today?" She asked, reaching forward to his plate of toast and taking a huge bite out of it.

"Actually, I have wor-" He began but was cut off by a car beeping outside.

"That's the taxi," She stuffed the last of his toast into her mouth and ran to the door. "Love you Scar." She called before she closed it behind her.

* * *

"Come on Scar," Caleb called, holding his hand out for her as she wondered over to the un-finished house.

"Who lives there?" She asked.

"Toby and Yvonne."

"But it's got no roof, they'll get wet when it rains." She furrowed her little eyebrows and skipped over to him, taking his hand. Caleb couldn't help but smile and squeeze it twice before he answered. "They're living in here until it's finished." He lead her up to the RV and knocked in the door.

It took a while but eventually a sleepy Toby answered the door. "Hey man,"

"Hi Toby." Scarlett grinned up at him.

"Hi Scar, what are you doing here?" He asked.

"Please tell me your not doing anything today?" Caleb asked as Toby stepped aside and let them inside.

"It's like eight in the morning, the only think we're doing is sleeping." He chucked slightly.

"Good, because I need you to look after Scarlett." He said handing him the purple backpack she had packed.

"Why? Where's Hanna?"

"Shes at the shop opening, I have to go to work and Ashley's away." He explained. "I'll pick her up at four."

Toby just nodded and watched as Caleb let go of Scarlett's hand. "Be good, okay?"

"I'm always good." She giggled and ran over to the sofa. "Bye Caleb."

"Bye," He called back and stepped out of the RV. "Thanks man." He smiled up at Toby before walking back to his car.

"Have you had any breakfast?" Toby asked, Scarlett as she made her way over to the table and sat down. She nodded her head and pulled out a colouring book from her bag. "Would you like anything to drink, I think we have some milkshake somewhere?" He offered.

Her head instantly shot up and she grinned. "Yeah milkshake!" Toby laughed at how excited she got before starting to make it himself a coffee.

"What's going on?" Yvonne asked coming from the bedroom dressed in her pyjamas.

"We're babysitting today." Toby replied as she walked over to the table and sat opposite Scarlett.

"Hi Scarlett, what are you doing?" She asked, leaning over to look at the fairy she was colouring.

"Colouring in." She replied simply. "You can help me." Yvonne smiled at her and took a crayon from the pack before she started colouring as well. Toby brought her a coffee over and Scarlett milkshake and joined them at the table. "What's that?" Scarlett asked pointing to the diamond ring on Yvonne's finger.

"It's an engagement ring, Toby asked me to marry him at Christmas." She replied, flashing Toby a smile.

"It's pretty," Scarlett mumbled. "My mommy used to have one from Jordan but she doesn't wear it anymore."

Toby and Yvonne both exchanged looks before turning back to Scarlett. "Why doesn't she wear it?"

"Because she doesn't want to marry him anymore. That's why we're living with Caleb."

"Your living with Caleb?" Toby asked.

"Only 'till Grandma Ash comes back from her trip." The five year old replied, turning back to her colouring book.

Yvonne and Toby exchanged looks again with small smiles on their faces before they turned back to Scarlett. "So are you mommy and Caleb together now?"

She shook her head. "No, but I saw them nearly kissing yesterday." She giggled, picking up her glass of milkshake.

Toby grinned before I standing up and walking to the sink with his cup. "They are so getting back together." Yvonne whispered, following him.

"Give it a day or two." Toby nodded.

"A day or two?" Yvonne furrowed her eyebrows. "That quick?"

"You haven't seen them together, a week and it will be like they were never apart."

* * *

Caleb slipped the pizza into the oven and closed the door before turning back around to Scarlett. "What are you doing?" He asked, watching as she pulled the cardboard box from behind his tv over to the coffee table.

"Looking at this." She answered simply, opening it.

He walked over to find her pulling out a picture of him and Hanna from when they were in high school. He sat on the sofa next to her and peered into the box. He hadn't opened it in years, it hurt too much to look back at all the happy memories they had when they ended so heart-breakingly.

"Its my mommy." She smiled looking at the picture, he used to keep on his bedside table. "Who that?"

He saw she was pointing to the picture if himself and swallowed. "That's me."

"You look funny with long hair." She giggled, putting the frame back in the box and looking for something else that looked interesting. "When's mommy coming home?" She yawned.

"I don't know." He shrugged, watching as she rubbed her eyes. "Are you tired?"

She nodded and abandoned the box to climb onto the sofa and perched herself next to him. "I want mommy." She mumbled, sticking her bottom lip out.

A smile graced Caleb's lips as she made herself comfortable next to him and leant into his side and he placed a hand around her little waist. "She won't be long, I promise." He smiled gently. "What did you do with Toby and Yvonne?" He asked trying to distract her until Hanna came home.

"I helped Toby build his house." She replied, smiling tiredly.

"I bet you did a good job." Caleb smiled, rubbing her back.

"I did." She nodded, her eyes struggling to stay open until she gave in and closed the fully.

Only five minutes later Hanna walked through the door to the unusually quiet apartment. She had expected Katy Perry to be playing again or Scarlett to be running around on another sugar high but the image that greeted her brought a huge smile to her face. Scarlett was curled up into Caleb's side whilst they both slept peacefully- well almost peaceful, Hanna chuckled when Caleb let out a quiet snore.

She perched herself on the end of the sofa, careful not to wake them and set her bag down. Her eyes wondered to the box by Caleb's feet and she pulled it over to get a better look inside. Her eyes glasses over when she saw it was full of old pictures of her and Caleb when they were teenagers. The pictures he used to have dotted all around his apartment. She dug a little deeper until something else caught her eye and she reached in to pull out a small black box. Opening it, she gasped as she saw that a diamond ring last inside. It was set in silver with one diamond in the middle and two smaller ones on either side. It was smaller than the ring Jordan had given her and clearly not as expensive but still it more beautiful than the huge rock he had proposed with.

She wondered when Caleb had bought it and why he never told her about it. Was it even for her? It had to be, it was at the bottom of a box of photos and memories of them. A rustling from beside her made her snap the box shut and throw it back into the box in time to see Caleb open his eyes.

"Hi," He murmured, being careful not to wake Scarlett as he sat up. "How long was I asleep?"

"I don't know, I just got back." She shrugged.

"Shit!" Caleb's head shot up and he quickly stood up, placing Scarlett in Hanna's knee and running to the oven. She watched as he pulled out a slightly charred pizza and placed it on the side.

Hanna settled Scarlett on to her knee and kissed her hair as Caleb came back over with a plate of pizza for them to share. "How was the shop opening?" He asked.

Hanna sighed and grabbed a slice of pizza before replying. "Well, I was an hour late, got screamed at by Claudia whilst I slaved my butt off handing out gift bags and refreshments to be fired at the end of the day."

"She fired you?"

Hanna nodded. "I don't blame her."

"Didn't you explain you situation?" Caleb asked. He thought it was totally unfair that she had been fired although Hanna didn't seemed too bothered by it.

"No, honestly I kind of glad I don't have to work for her anymore, she was a total bitch." She took a bite of pizza. "Anyway, what did you do today to tire her out so much?" She asked, running a hand down Scarlett's sleeping back.

"Actually that was all Toby. I had to work today, I tried to explain this morning but you charged out before I could." He had a small smile on his face.

"Sorry," She smiled back. "How was their Christmas?"

"Really good actually, Toby proposed." Caleb said, picking up a slice of pizza for himself.

The smile on Hanna's face dropped as her eyes wondered to the cardboard box with the ring in it. She wanted so desperately to ask him about it yet at the same time she was scared to know the truth. Her heart couldn't take anymore hurt that came along with that ring and everything she and Caleb used to be.

"Han, you okay?" Caleb asked, breaking her from her stare having noticed how her eyes glassed over.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She whispered however untrue it was.

* * *

 **I know a lot of stories recently have had an engagement ring involved somewhere but I thought Id put my own twist on it with Scarlett and everything else going on so tell me if you enjoyed and if you would like a preview. Xxxx**


	21. Chapter 21

**Another chapter xxx, enjoy, I think you will...**

"Hanna," Ashley scolded as she followed her daughter up the stairs. "Why didn't you phone me and tell me about breaking up with Jordan and not having anywhere to stay."

"Because I knew you would come straight home and I wanted you to have a good time." Hanna replied, wheeling her moms suit-case into her bedroom.

"Where have you been staying?" Ashley sighed, knowing Hanna was right. She would of been on the first plane back if Hanna had told her.

"With Caleb." She shrugged.

"The three if you have been living in his tiny apartment for the last week?" She raised her eyebrows.

"Where else could I go?"

"The Radley." Ashley answered.

"I didn't think of that." She murmured. Now she did think about it that actually would have been a good idea, although she wouldn't have gotten to watch Scarlett and Caleb bonding over the past few days.

"Where did you all sleep?"

"Me and Scar were in the bed and Caleb slept on the sofa." She set the case in the bed and opened it so her mom could start unpacking.

Ashley sighed again and shook her head at her daughter. "Well you can stay here now, go and get your stuff from Caleb's."

"I can't, he's at work. I'll just get it when he comes back."

Ashley looked up and furrowed her eyebrows. "Why aren't you at work?"

"I...got fired." She mumbled, knowing it was pointless trying to try and hide it.

"You got fired?" Ashley repeated, placing a hand on her forehead and sighing at some of her daughters recent life decisions. "You know what, I don't want to know."

"Mommy, I finished my sandwich." Scarlett called walking into the bedroom where her mother and grandmother were.

"Good girl." Hanna smiled sitting in the edge of the bed and pulling Scarlett on to her knee.

"Do you want your present now, Scar?" Ashley asked as she started sorting through her case. Scarlett nodded excitedly so she pulled out a small paper bag.

Scarlett took the bag and opened it to find a pack of pink hair bobbles and clips inside. "Thank you Grandma." She smiled, standing up and hugging Ashley.

"Your welcome." She smiled back, watching as Scarlett pulled away and sat back on Hanna's knee, handing her a bobble.

"Can you do me a braid?"

"One or two?"

"Two." She answered and Hanna started to get to work on her long blonde hair.

"Did you have a good time staying with Caleb?" Ashley asked and she began unpacking.

"Yeah, he's really run." Scarlett giggled. "We danced to Katy Perry and he let me have a full can of coke."

Ashley smiled, glad that Scarlett and Caleb were getting along so well. "Are you excited for New Years Eve?"

Scarlett nodded and looked up at Hanna as she finished the first braid. "Are we still gonna see the fireworks in New York?" She asked.

Hanna sighed and ran her hands along Scarlett arms before she shook her head. "No baby, we're staying in Rosewood now."

Scarlett frowned and her bottom lips started to quiver. "But I wanna see the lights in New York, you said we were going."

"I know, I know." She soothed. "That was when I was with Jordan but now we have to stay in Rosewood. I promise I'll take you next year." She felt so bad for breaking her promise to Scarlett about spending New Year in Times Square.

A fat tear ran down her cheek and Hanna kissed it away. Ashley noticed Scarlett's tear and sat in the bed beside them. "Don't cry, sweetie. Why don't we have a quiet New Year with just the three of us." She suggested. "I have to work in the day but when I get home we can have a girly movie marathon on the sofa."

Scarlett nodded and sniffled. "A cosy girls night will be better than standing in the cold in New York." Hanna smiled pressing another kiss to her hair before she started on the other braid.

* * *

When Hanna arrived at Caleb's apartment block later that evening she found him sat outside on a bench with I cigarette in his mouth and his hands cupped at the end as he tried to light it. She wrapped her arms around herself a little tighter in the cold wind and made her way over to him. "Hi," She smiled sitting down next to him. "I've come to get our stuff."

"Did your mom get back okay?" He asked, as his cigarette finally caught alight and he stuffed the lighter back in his pocket.

"Yeah, she's good." Hanna replied.

"So are you going back to New York now or...?" Caleb asked.

"No, I think I'm going to stay with my mom for now and see if I can find another job here." She replied. He was relieved that she was staying in Rosewood, for now at least.

There was a long pause after that, neither of them knowing what to say. Caleb desperately didn't want her and Scarlett to move out of his apartment, he had been getting used to always having them around and having to watch where he stood so he didn't step on any of Scarlett's toys. But he knew that they couldn't stay in his tiny apartment for much longer, especially since he didn't know what him and Hanna stood.

All that Hanna could think about was the ring she had found yesterday. She wanted to know when he had bought it and when he had planned to propose, although she already had a feeling and that feeling was killing her. If she was right it would break her heart all over again. The silence lasted a few more minutes before Hanna couldn't take it anymore and spoke. "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything." His looked straight at her giving her his full attention.

"You planned the trip to Europe because you were going to propose, weren't you?"

He looked shocked at first and then curious before he nodded. "How did you know?"

"I saw the ring yesterday and just figured it out." She shrugged. Now she knew why he was so desperate for them to go to Europe together and so angry and upset when she didn't go.

Caleb looked straight forward at the passing traffic as he took a long drag from his cigarette. "It was stupid, really." He muttered, breathing out the smoke. "I thought that proposing would fix all of our problems but it wouldn't have." Hanna nodded and looked at the ground, biting her lip and willing herself not to cry. "I was going to do it in Paris." He spoke up again. "I was going to take you to the top of the Eiffel Tower and out for a fancy meal and then wait until we were alone in our hotel room and ask you to marry me."

At that Hanna couldn't hold her tears back anymore. They streamed down her face as she brought her hand up to her mouth. It would have been everything she had ever dreamed of. Caleb noticed her tears and placed his hand on her thigh. "Don't cry Han." He smiled briefly. "It doesn't matter now, it's all in the past."

"It does." Her voice cracked as she turned to look at him. "I was so stupid to leave the apartment. I should have gone to Europe with you."

"It wasn't your fault. I shouldn't have left either." He looked back out to the street, bringing his cigarette to his lips and taking another drag.

She shook her head again and wiped her teary cheeks. "If I'd had to gone to Europe with you we'd be married by now." Caleb cleared his throat and looked at his feet, feeling tears starting to form in his own eyes now. "You would have proposed and I would have said yes and then a few weeks later we would have found out about Scarlett, together. And you would have been there from the very start- you wouldn't have missed anything." She watched as a single tear ran down Caleb's cheek and he finally turned to look at her. "It's all my fault." She told him. "You not knowing about Scarlett until now, it's my fault."

He shook his head and swallowed. "It's my fault too. I shouldn't have left my phone- I shouldn't have left at all."

Hanna frantically shook her head as tears poured out of her eyes. "I drove you away, I didn't make time for you and I don't blame you for leaving."

Caleb sighed and ran his thumb along her thigh again to comfort her. "We're both at fault then." It felt like a weight had been lifted off both their chests as they finally took responsibility.

Hanna nodded her head and stared at her feet for a few seconds before she looked back up at him. "If I could go back in time and change what happened, I would."

He leant forward and wiped her cheeks dry. "Me too." His hand cupped her cheek but Hanna pulled her head away from him and looked in the opposite direction. She closed her eyes for a second to compose herself before she stood up. "I'm going to start packing, my moms coming to pick everything up soon."

"I'll finish this and then come help you." He sighed taking another drag of his cigarette and watching as she walked inside. He wanted to know why she kept pushing him away. Every time they were close he could see her relaxing for a split second before she tightened up and pulled away from him and he wanted to know why. He was really starting to get frustrated not knowing how she felt and how she left him guessing. Obviously there was something still there between them. They had kissed and nearly kissed and she had split up with Jordan but yet there was no explanation.

Maybe he should have done more to comfort her but talking about all the plans he had made for them in Europe and how they never happened hurt. Everything they were supposed to do together he ended up doing on his own with the engagement ring buried at the bottom of his backpack.

Hanna was right. If she had gone to Europe with him then they'd be happily married by now with Scarlett and maybe even more children. He knew that proposing wouldn't have fixed their problems but maybe Scarlett would have. It wouldn't have just been them anymore and they would have had to think about what was best for the baby. Hanna probably would have cut back her hours and he would have done the same, making sure that they spent time with each other and their baby girl.

He sighed, finishing his cigarette before making his way up to his apartment. He was going to give her one last chance to tell him how she felt before he forced it out of her.

Hanna was folding her and Scarlett clothes and placing them in the case she had brought when he walked in. "Do you need any help?" He asked. She shook her head, not turning around from where she was knelt and carried on packing. "Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah," She stood up and turned around picking up some more clothes and putting them in the case.

"Are you sure?" Yet again Hanna was playing the stubborn card.

"I told you I'm fine." She forced a smile although he saw straight through it.

"I know," He shrugged, looking to the side and trying to act like it didn't hurt hoe she kept pushing him away.

"So then why do you keep asking me if I'm okay?" She asked, he was starting to annoy her now.

"I guess I'm waiting for an answer I believe." He looked at her with raised eyebrows. He wanted an answer for her shutting him out.

"I'm okay." She tried again forcing a smile.

"Sorry," He let out a short laugh. "I don't buy that."

"Seriously Caleb, I told you I'm fine." She moved back to the case and out some more clothes in it.

"And I know your not," He challenged. " _Seriously_."

She closed her eyes and took a breath before turning back around to face him. "You know you are a real pain in the ass."

"So are you." He shot back.

"Excuse me?!"

He looked around his apartment that had become a mess ever since she started staying with him. "Hanna you don't do dishes until they mould. You eat French fries in bed, cold. You don't gas up the car until it starts beeping, you won't admit that were meant to spend the rest if out lived together," Hanna's head shot up at that and her eyebrows furrowed but he carried on. "You send food back if the waiter breathes on it funny and you know what, there's probably milk in that fridge that's older than me." He pointed to his fridge and then looked back at her.

"What did you say?" Her voice a whisper.

"About the milk?" He breathed with a small smile on his face.

Her head shook and she could barley get her words out. "No."

He blinked and swallowed before taking a few steps closer to her. "I never want to spend another day without you, ever, for the rest of my life."

She couldn't hold back the smile on her face or the tears that welled in her eyes when he said that. All of her doubts about how he really felt and all her insecurities about getting her heart broken again were gone. All she cared about was Caleb and being back in his arms again, after six years apart. "Like I said your a real pain in the ass." Her eyes rolled but a smile remained stuck her her lips.

Caleb let out a grin too and leaned closer as she grabbed his face and pulled his lips to her own, joining them in a soft, passionate kiss. Her hands gripped either side of his head and she held him close as possible. His arms wrapped around her waist and his tongue slipped between her lips, making their mouths explode as she tugged on his hair and scratched the back of his neck with her longs nails.

Slowly he took a few steps back towards his bed, she got the hint and pushed his jacket off his shoulders, not breaking the kiss once.

He tugged at the bottom of her jumper and lifted it up as she raised her arms to help him pull it off her. He let it fall to the ground and returned his lips to hers, his hand wrapped around her back and traveled down to her butt, cupping it and bringing her body closer to his.

She broke away from the kiss and looked down to start unbuttoning his blue shirt. He slipped his arms out of it and wrapped them around her as she pulled away again to undo his belt before bringing her lips up to his neck. She left a trail of delicate kiss behind his ear as he placed a soft wet one on the base of her neck.

Slowly, he turned her to the side and ran his hand along her smooth back leaning down and pressing his lips to the back of her shoulder as he kissed down her bra strap. Then he pulled away and reached his other arm over to help unclasp her bra, pulling one shoulder down as she pulled her arm out of the other.

Her arms went straight back around his neck as their bare chests pressed together. Blindly, without breaking their kiss he reached behind him and untied her hair, running his fingers through her blonde locks as they covered her back. He'd always loved her hair long.

Her hand ran down from the top of his head and she cupped it under his chin before running her index finger along his cheek.

Hanna felt Caleb slowly pull away from the kiss and opened her eyes to see him lean forward and place a kiss on the tip of her nose. He opened his eyes too and started walking back until the back of her legs came in contact with his bed and he lowered her onto it as she kicked off her shoes.

His hands ran along her hips and up to her bare chest before he cupped her breasts and leant forward to kiss her again. She let out a quiet moan as his thumbs flicked across her hardened nipples before her hands moved to the button on her jeans and she undid it.

Caleb pulled away from her and slowly pulled her jeans and her panties down her long porcelain legs, leaving her lying naked and waiting for him.

His lips ghosted over her knees and up the inside of her thighs before he pressed a kiss right to her centre. Hanna let out a sharp gasp and pulled his head up by his hair before she sat up on the edge of the bed and helped him out of his jeans. She didn't want any teasing; she just wanted him.

He watched as her soft hands ran down his naval and around the top of his boxers as she leant forward and placed a gentle kiss to his chest before she pushed them down as far as she could reach. He stepped out of them and encouraged her to move further back on the bed and lie down.

She did so and he lay his body over her, holding himself up by his forearms as he settled between her legs and joined their lips again, in long drawn out kisses.

He noticed her hand lying beside her head and slipped his fingers in between hers, locking them together and squeezing as tight as he could; never wanting to let her go again.

Reluctantly, he pulled away from their kiss and looked into her lust-filled eyes not need to ask her to know exactly what she wanted. He aligned himself with her centre and slowly pushed into her, causing Hanna to let out a gasp as he filled her.

He stilled for a few seconds letting her adjust to his size before their eyes locked. All he saw was love. Pure love that was never going to disappear. A love that they had shared since they were sixteen and still shared after everything they'd been through over the last six years, because you can't fall out of real love, even if your not with that person anymore, the love stays.

Hanna pursed her lips and leant up to capture his lips in hers again as he started to move himself into her again. Her hand roamed his back and she threw her head back in pleasure encouraging him to go deeper and he did, groaning into their kiss at how good she felt around him. She was so warm and tight, just like she had always been.

Hanna pulled away from their kiss to concentrate on her breathing and let out out a stifled moan when Caleb entered her at a different angle. His nose bumped against her as he kept thrusting into her, causing her to moan into his ear and mouth over and over again until it all became too much for her and she let herself go around him.

Caleb carried on for a few more seconds, savouring every last glance, every last touch and every last kiss until let go himself and spilled into her. His arms twitched as he collapsed on top of her and rested his forehead on hers, both of them breathing heavily.

Hanna opened her eyes and cradled the back of his head as she pressed a kiss to his lips, loving the feeling of all his weight on top of her.

He slowly lifted his head and pressed another kiss to her lips before he rolled off her to the side and pulled her with him. She settled her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes as he pulled the duvet over them and wrapped an arm around her back.

They didn't say anything. They didn't need to. What they had just done explained everything. They had made love thousands of times before and yet it felt like their first time all over again. They both put themselves out there and finally expressed the feelings and emotions they had been keeping inside to show exactly how much they still loved each other.

Caleb ran his hand along her bare shoulder and nuzzled her hair as his eyes closed and a smile graced his lips. For years he had dreamed about this day and now it had finally come.

* * *

When Ashley approached Caleb's front door with Scarlett by her side she found it unlocked and stepped in to the silence.

"Where's mommy and Caleb?" Scarlett asked, yawning as both their eyes scanned the apartment for any signs of life.

Ashley noticed a trail of clothes on the floor before her eyes wondered up to the bed and she spotted her daughter, asleep on Caleb's bare chest. She couldn't hold back a smile as she thanked God that they had a duvet pulled over them. "There they are."

Scarlett let go of her grandmothers hand and walked over to the bed, climbing on and settling herself in the gap between her mother and father.

Ashley smiled again at the scene as Scarlett's eyes slowly closed and she joined her parents in a deep sleep. Deciding not to ruin the sweet family moment she made her way out of the apartment and closed the door behind her, leaving them to sleep.

* * *

 **This is the chapter you've all been waiting for and I hope it lived up to expectation and I did the amazing 7x10 scenes justice. This story has been a bit of a slow burner Haleb wise and I'm so glad to have finally posted this chapter.**

 **Also this story has 199 reviews which I cant believe and I get butterflies in my stomach when I see how many of you are enjoying my story so thank you so much and as always let me know if you want a preview.**

 **Xxxxxx**


	22. Chapter 22

The next morning Caleb felt something shift next to him and slowly opened his eyes. Scarlett was lay beside him, tucked up into his chest and still dressed in her clothes with her hair was tied in two messy braids. He smiled and reached forward to tuck a blonde curl behind her ear as she slept.

Then he looked over to where Hanna was lay on her stomach with her head resting on the pillow facing him and Scarlett. He reached under the covers and placed his hand on her bare back as she stirred again. Her eyes fluttered open and she rubbed them before turning into her side. Caleb instantly panicked and thought she would jump up from the bed, gather her clothes and run out if his apartment like she had done the night they kissed but she didn't. Instead she gave him a smiled and whispered, "Morning."

"Morning." He whispered back. "How are you?"

"I'm good," She smiled, taking his hand from her back and interlocked his fingers with her own. "Really good."

"So you don't-"

"No, Caleb. I don't regret any of it." She cut him off, running her thumb over his hand.

"Good." He smiled, squeezing her hand before resting his head back on the pillow. "I missed this."

"Missed what?"

"Waking up with you naked in my bed." He smirked causing Hanna to blush slightly. "And this makes it better." He looked down at Scarlett who was still fast asleep.

"Yeah, it does." She agreed, gently stroking her daughters rosy cheek. "She looks so much like you when she sleeps,"

"You think so?" Caleb looked down at Scarlett too.

Hanna nodded. "Even when she was younger and she would sleep next to me." She whispered, her eyes not moving from Scarlett. "And sometimes I would imagine that you were lay on the bed with us."

Caleb swallowed a lump in his throat and look down at Scarlett's dainty hand that was resting above the covers. "I'm sorry."

"You don't need to apologise." Hanna smiled slightly.

"I know, it's just you said-"

"I said it because I want you to know that I never stopped thinking about you." She cut him off sat up slightly so she could be closer to him.

A smile appeared on Caleb's lips. "I love you." He whispered.

"I love you too." She grinned leaning over Scarlett so she could kiss him, his hand cupping her cheek as their lips melted together.

A small giggle broke their lips apart and they looked down to see Scarlett awake. "What are you laughing at missy?" Hanna asked tickling her tummy.

Scarlett laughed as Hanna kept tickling her and buried her face in Caleb's chest. "Stop," She giggled. "Stop mommy."

"Okay." Hanna sighed and lay back down on the pillow next to them.

Scarlett slowly peeled her body off Caleb and lay down back in between him and Hanna. She let out a tired yawn and snuggled into the pillow, looking between them slowly until a smirk appeared on her face and she pulled the covers up to peak underneath. "You're naked!" She burst into hysterical giggles as Hanna quickly pulled the covers back down, blushing.

"Here," Caleb laughed, handing her his shirt from last night as he slipped on a pair of boxers.

She sat up, holding the duvet to her chest as she pulled it on and did up a few buttons. "Thanks."

"I'm hungry." Scarlett announced, sitting up against the pillows.

"What do you want for breakfast?" Caleb asked getting out of the bed and pulling on some grey sweat pants from his draw.

"Pancakes!"

"Okay then." He chuckled.

Hanna and Scarlett stayed in the bed whilst Caleb walked over to the kitchen to start making breakfast. Hanna sat up in the bed and pulled Scarlett onto her knee for some morning cuddles. "What are we doing today?" Scarlett asked.

"We can do whatever you want. It's New Years Eve remember." Hanna replied, pulling out the bobbles from her daughters hair and untangling the messy braids.

"I forgot." she giggled. "Can we do something with Caleb today?"

"Of course we can." Hanna smiled.

"What about the park?" Caleb suggested bringing over a plate of pancakes for them all to share.

"But we've been to the park so many times, it boring." Scarlett huffed.

Caleb got back in his side of the bed. "What about the big park in Philly? They have that huge slide." He suggested.

"Yeah! Can we go there mommy, please?" Scarlett begged.

"Okay, but you'll have to be really careful because of your wrist." Hanna warned. "And we'll have to go back to grandma Ash's to get some clothes first."

"Yay!" Scarlett exclaimed grinning and looking between her parents.

"Come on eat your pancakes before they get cold." Hanna instructed.

When they were all gone Caleb picked the plate up and set it in the sink. As he was making his way back to the bed the door bell rang. He went to open it confused as to who would be at his door this early in the morning. Opening the door he found his mother and two brothers stood there with a large suitcase. "Mom, what are you doing here?" He asked letting them inside.

"We thought we'd come and visit you for the New Year." She explained looking around his apartment until her eyes stopped on the bed where Hanna and Scarlett were sat.

"Hanna?"

"Claudia?" Hanna smiled as she quickly got out of the bed and walked over to her.

"It's been so long honey, I didn't know you were back with Caleb." Claudia smiled pulling her in for a hug. "How are you?"

"Hi Caleb." Clay mumbled looking up at his eldest brother.

"What's up with you two?" Caleb asked. Usually he would get a warm welcome from his two little brothers, they didn't jump on him anymore like they used to, but he expected more than a grumble.

"Nothing." James snapped, glaring at Clay.

Caleb just rolled his eyes at his grumpy teenage brothers and turned back to Hanna who had only just been released from his mothers arms. He watched as Scarlett climbed out of the bed and ran up to her mommy, taking her hand.

"And who is this?" Claudia asked curiously, smiling down at her.

Hanna looked up at Caleb not knowing what he had told his mother about Scarlett and if he had told her at all. "Scarlett, Hanna's daughter." Caleb answered. He couldn't wait for the day he would be able to introduce her as his daughter as well.

Claudia nodded slowly and looked back at the little girl, scanning her features. "How old are you Scarlett?"

"Five." She replied, biting her lip and looking up at Hanna.

Claudia just nodded again and turned to Caleb. "Come give your mother a hug."

Hanna smiled as Caleb wrapped his arms around his mom and turned to James noticing he was staring at something by Caleb's bed with a smirk plastered to his face. She followed his eyes until she saw he was staring at her black lace panties that were lay on the floor from last night. She blushed and then looked down at herself. Caleb's shirt only just covered the top of her thighs and she blushed even more realising she had probably flashed her ass to his mom and brothers. "We should go." She cleared her throat, pulling the shirt down and leading Scarlett to the bathroom, collecting her clothes in the way.

"Do you want a drink?" Caleb asked, walking over to his draws and pulling out a t-shirt before slipping it on.

"A coffee would be lovely." Claudia smiled before looking back at the bathroom door where Hanna and Scarlett were. She opened her mouth to speak but Caleb cut her off.

"So, how long are you staying here?" He asked pulling out two cups so he could make some coffee.

"A few days." She replied. "The boys go back to school soon, after their Christmas break."

"What about William, how come he hasn't come down?"

"He's busy." Claudia replied as James and Clay slumped down into Caleb's sofa.

Hanna came out of the bathroom fully dressed with Scarlett behind her. "We're going back to my moms now."

Caleb nodded and walked over to the door. "Are we still going to Philly later?"

"Yeah!" Scarlett answered, grinning with excitement.

"What time shall I pick you up?"

"Two?" Hanna replied.

"Perfect." He smiled leaning down to press a quick kiss on her lips.

"Bye Caleb." Scarlett waved as Hanna lead her out.

"Bye Scarlett." He smiled, waving too. He turned around once they were gone and found his mother giving him a pointed look.

"Now your going to tell me who that little girl is." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He knew he wasn't going to be able to avoid it. "She's yours isn't she?"

He nodded.

"Oh, Caleb." She sighed. "What happened?"

"When me and Hanna broke up she was pregnant but we didn't know." He answered walking back over to her. "I only found out about her when I moved back here."

"How could you let this happen?" Claudia sighed again. "After everything you've been through."

"You think I wanted this to happen?!" He snapped at his mother. "To not know I have a daughter until she's five years old and miss everything that's happened to her!"

Claudia could see tears in his eyes and rushed forward to placed a soothing hand on his back. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that." She pulled him in for a hug. "She's beautiful."

Caleb nodded and pulled away. "Does she know your her father?" His mother asked.

He shook his head. "Not yet."

"Do you know when your going to tell her?"

He shook his head. "We haven't really talked about when, but I hope we tell her soon."

"You just have to wait until she's totally comfortable with you. It's a lot for her to get her head around being so young. Remember how you were when you found out about Jamie and you were seventeen Caleb." Claudia said smiling up at him. "It will just take time." He nodded and gave her a small smile back. "Why didn't you tell me about her?" His Mother asked then.

He just shrugged. "I wanted to wait until she knows I'm her dad before I told you or Jamie."

She nodded, understanding.

"Why are you here, anyway?" He asked looking over to his brothers who we sat on the sofa entertaining themselves with their phones.

"What do you mean?" Claudia stalled.

"You don't just show up in my doorstep if everything's alright." He replied.

Claudia let out a big sigh and tears filled her eyes. "Me and William are getting divorced." She replied shakily.

"Oh," Caleb muttered in response. That explained why James and Clay were so out of character. He didn't really know William that well but he knew his brothers looked up to their father.

"I just wanted to get away from the house whilst he moved out." She sighed looking over at her youngest two. "They're not taking it very well. James keeps shouting at us both and I don't think Clay understands that his dad's not going to be living with us anymore."

"Do you know where your staying?" He asked. He didn't want to sound rude but it was clear they couldn't stay in his tiny apartment.

"Yes, we're booked in at the Radley Hotel." She replied.

"Hanna's mom manages it." Caleb said pouring the coffee into the cups.

"How is Hanna?" Claudia smiled knowingly.

"She's good." He bit his lip.

Claudia just nodded and glanced at the unmade bed out of the corner of her eye. "I'm glad your back together. Hanna brings out the best in you."

* * *

At two Caleb was knocking on the Marin's door. It didn't take long for it to open and Hanna invited him in. "We'll just be a second, I can't find my phone." She said turning away but Caleb gently pulled her by her wrists back to him. "What?" She asked confused. He leaned forward and kissed her on the lips. They had ben apart for a few hours and he still missed her. She pulled away smiling and carried on into the kitchen to look for her phone.

Scarlett came down the stairs wrapped up in her coat and pink Ugg boots. "Hi Caleb." She smiled.

"Hey you, are you ready to go to the park?" He asked.

She nodded eagerly as Hanna came back through, stuffing her phone in her bag.

"I still don't get why we have to go all the way to Philly just to play in a park." Hanna commented as she pulled on her coat.

Caleb smirked but soon remembered something. "Oh, my mom and brothers are meeting us there." He said looking at Hanna. Hanna nodded reluctantly, then looked over to Scarlett. "She promised she won't push anything on you or Scarlett. She just wants to spend some time with us all before they go back." He explained.

"Okay." She smiled as she closed the front door behind her. They walked to Caleb's car and she helped Scarlett climb in the back before hoping the in front next to Caleb. She looked behind to check that Scarlett wasn't listening before turning to Caleb. "So you told your mom about Scar?" He nodded. "What did she say?" Hanna asked.

"She was shocked at first but she came around to the idea of a granddaughter." He replied. He could see Hanna nervously nod so placed his free hand on top of hers on her knee. "What are you worried about?"

"Nothing, I just- I don't know." She sighed.

"Don't worry about anything, Han. My moms loves you and she won't blame you for what happened with Scar, it wasn't your fault." Caleb comforted.

"I know." She gave him a small smile. "She probably didn't appreciate seeing me half naked this morning though."

"She didn't even notice."

"Your brothers definitely did." She muttered. "I saw James staring at my panties."

Caleb let out a laugh and turned to look at her. "Well, can you blame him?" Hanna raised her eyebrows at him. "He's a teenage boy and you were stood there in only my shirt with crazy sex hair." Hanna laughed and slapped his arm slightly. "But you still looked beautiful." He added grinning.

* * *

"I do wish you would put that thing out." Claudia furrowed her eyebrows in disgust at the cigarette on her sons hand. He just rolled his eyes and took a long drag. "They're bad for you."

"No shit." Caleb muttered receiving and slap on the back of the head from his mother.

Hanna laughed at them both and looked back into the park. She didn't mind Caleb's smoking habit. He never smoked near Scarlett and went outside when they were living with him so it didn't really bother her.

She looked up when she saw Scarlett running up to them with her bottom lips sticking out. "What wrong baby?" She asked pulling her into her knee.

"Where are James and Clay?" Claudia asked. "I told them to look after you."

"They wouldn't push me on the swings." She replied.

"Why not?"

"I dunno."

Caleb stubbed his cigarette out before standing up and holding his hand out for Scarlett. "I'll push you on the swings." He smiled as she jumped up and took his hand.

Hanna watched as Caleb lead Scarlett over to the swings to push her. "She really is beautiful." Claudia smiled, turning to Hanna. "I told Caleb before, she's the perfect mix of both of you." Hanna grinned and nodded, her daughter was perfect. "I know how hard it is to bring up a child on your own and you've done such a good job."

"My mom helped me a lot." Hanna shrugged.

Claudia smiled and placed her hand on top of Hanna's. "Well you did better than me. Caleb was Scarlett's age when I have him up." Hanna didn't really know what to say. It was hard looking after Scarlett on her own without Caleb, despite the help she had got but she could never imagine giving her baby girl up. It broke her heart every time she thought about what Caleb had to go through as a child. "And now this with Scarlett," Claudia sighed. "He's not had it easy has he?" Hanna shook her head as she watched Scarlett and Caleb together in the distance. "I suppose I only have myself to blame for that."

There was silence between the two women for a few minutes before Claudia broke it. "I've been thinking Hanna, back to all the times you called me when you and Caleb first broke up and you should've told me you were pregnant."

"I wanted Caleb to hear it from me." She swallowed.

"I wouldn't have told him you were pregnant, honey. I just wouldn't told him to get his backside back to New York." She smiled sympathetically at Hanna. "When Caleb came back I hadn't heard from you for a few months so I didn't say anything about it but if I had maybe he wouldn't known about Scarlett sooner."

"No, no it's not your fault." Hanna reassured her. "When Scar was born I stopped calling you and Jamie. I guess I gave up hope that he was ever going to come back and just accepted that I was going to have to look after her on my own."

"Maybe it's a good thing." Claudia sighed. "When he came back to live with me he was a mess. He started drinking a lot and smoking and he had a different girl with him every night. He didn't even bother to sneak them out in the morning he just left them to find their own way out whilst he slept off his hangover."

Hanna's eyes glassed over at the thought of Caleb with other girls. She wasn't mad at him, she couldn't be. She was the one that had got engaged whilst they were apart so she didn't blame Caleb for sleeping with other people.

"Sorry," Claudia apologised placing her hand on Hanna's knee. "You probably don't want to hear about that."

"It's fine." Hanna forced a smile.

"Anyway it took me and William threatening to kick him out before he got his act together and enrolled at the local collage." She rolled her eyes. "But I'm so glad he's back with you now Hanna." She smiled pulling her in for a hug. "You bring out the best in him and now you've got a daughter together, my grand daughter, I'm still getting used to that." She grinned excitedly.

Hanna laughed and pulled away. "He's going to be a great father." Claudia smiled looking back at her son.

Hanna smiled too. "He already is."

 **Thank you all so much for all your reviews on the last chapter and I hope you enjoyed this one just as much. Next chapter Ashley and Claudia will meet and Haleb talk a little about what Claudia told Hanna. Let me know if you'd like a preview. Xxxxx**


	23. Chapter 23

**A quick update because this chapter follows on fro the next and why not? I know a lot of you are waiting for Scarlett to find out Caleb is her dad and it will come just not for a while yet but I promise lots of Haleb and Scarlett cuteness in between.**

* * *

Hanna couldn't wipe the smile off her face as she and Scarlett walked through the door of her mothers house later that day. Scarlett through to the kitchen and Hanna followed. "Where have you two been?" Her mother asked as she took a seat on the stool.

"The park." Hanna replied.

"With Caleb and his mommy and brothers." Scarlett added, climbing onto the stool next to Hanna.

"His mothers in town?"

"Yeah, she's come for New Year." Hanna nodded. "They're taking us out for dinner later so you should change." She looked down at her mothers work suit and frowned.

Ashley rolled her eyes and leaned forward on the counter with a small smile on her face. "So... How are you and Caleb?"

"We're fine." Hanna tried to reply casually with a shrug.

A smirk appeared in her mothers face. "You seemed more than fine last night."

"How did you know?" Hanna asked, blushing furiously.

"How do you think Scarlett got there?"

"Oh," Hanna bit her lip. "I didn't think about that." She was worried how much her mother had seen.

Ashley could tell what Hanna was thinking and stood up. "Don't worry your dignity is still intact and so is Caleb's, just about."

Hanna nodded and looked down at her hands. "So your not mad?"

"Mad about what?"

"About me and Caleb."

"That you and Caleb had sex? Hanna, I don't know how many times I used to walk in on you two when you were younger, trust me it's nothing new."

"Not that," Hanna rolled her eyes. "That we're back together."

"Of course I'm not mad. It's about time you both stopped being so stubborn." She grinned. "And Caleb's part of the family, he always has been."

Hanna smiled and looked over to Scarlett. "We should start getting ready for dinner now, baby."

Scarlett nodded and hopped off the stool. "What time are we meeting them?" Ashley asked.

"Six, so you better hurry up and change."

* * *

"Come here you," Ashley smiled, leaning forward to envelop Caleb in a tight hug. He was slightly taken aback but wrapped his arms around her anyway. Hanna had texted him earlier to tell him Ashley had walked in on them the previous night when she brought Scarlett over and he started to panic, wondering exactly what she had seen but Hanna reassured him it was nothing too bad.

Ashley had always been a mother figure for him. He felt guilty for thinking it when his own mother was stood a few feet away greeting Hanna, but it was true. She had taught him more about life and how to deal with what it throws at you from just watching her with Hanna when they were younger so her approval was always important to him and dispite him being well aware that she thought of him as a son he still worried. But he had no reason to. She pulled away and patted his back. "Don't loose her this time." Was all she whispered before she make her way over to Claudia to finally meet her.

Caleb took Hanna's hand as they made their way into the Italian restaurant. "You look hot." He smirked, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her closer before his hand settled on her butt as they waited to be seated.

"Thank you." She smiled leaning up to kiss his lips. Then she looked ahead where her Mother and Claudia were already in deep conversation having hit it off the instant they met. "They're already best friends."

"They have a lot in common," Caleb mumbled. "Probably discussing divorce lawyers."

"What?" Hanna asked looking up at him.

"My mom and William are getting divorced, that's why he's not here." He rolled his eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me before?" Hanna asked.

"I forgot."

She rolled her eyes at him and turned to where James and Clay were stood with Scarlett. She knew what it was like be stuck in the middle of a divorce and wondered if they felt how she had felt. "I feel bad for your brothers."

Caleb looked over at them too. Their moods seamed to have lifted from earlier and they were smiling and chatting with Scarlett. "I think they're doing okay." He shrugged.

"Do they know about Scar?"

"Yeah," He nodded. "But they know she doesn't know yet so they promised to be careful what they say around her."

Hanna nodded and looked over at Scarlett who was giggling as James and Clay laughed too. "Well, I think she likes her uncles."

"What are they laughing at?"

Hanna looked back over them as all three of them were nearly in stitches and shrugged. "I have no idea."

Caleb shook his head and smiled, leaning down to kiss her lips. Hanna smiled into it but Caleb quickly pulled away. "We're getting seated." He smirked patting her butt as they followed the waitress.

After they had all finished their main courses Caleb stood up to go for a cigarette and Hanna followed him outside. Scarlett, who had been sat in between them jumped up and walked around to her Grandma. "Did you like your pasta, honey?" Ashley asked breaking her conversation with Claudia to pull Scarlett on to her knee.

Scarlett nodded and looked up at Claudia who was smiling down at her. "I like your shoes." She said, looking down to the pink glittery shoes on her feet.

"Thank you." Scarlett smiled shyly.

"Why don't you tell Claudia what you do on Tuesday nights?" Ashley encouraged.

"Dancing."

"What type of dancing?" Claudia asked her granddaughter.

"Ballet."

"Wow," Claudia matched her grin. "Do you get to wear pretty dresses?" Scarlett nodded. "And I bet your very good at it."

"I am." She smiled sitting up straight.

"Well," Claudia began. "Next time I come and visit I would love to come and see you dancing."

"You can watch me on Tuesday." Scarlett suggested.

"I'm going back to California in two days but I promise I'll come back in the summer and you can show me how good you are." The older woman smiled, hoping that by the summer Scarlett would know about Caleb being her father and that she was her other grandma.

"Okay." Scarlett smiled, pushing a piece of her hair out of her face.

"What did you do to your wrist?" Claudia asked, noticing the pink cast.

"I broke it on the slide with Caleb." She replied.

"But he did a good job looking after you, didn't he?" Ashley butted in.

"Yeah," Scarlett nodded. "He took me to the hospital and brought me a teddy."

"That's good." Claudia couldn't help but grin at the thought of her son looking after his own little girl. "And I bet your still an amazing dancer, even with a broken wrist.

She nodded and glanced around the restaurant before her eyes settled on the window and she burst out giggling. "What's so funny?" Ashley asked.

"Look, mommy and Caleb are kissing." She laughed, pointing outside where they were leant against the wall with their lips attached, the cigarette in Caleb's hand long forgotten. "They kiss a lot."

"Do they?" Ashley grinned, wondering what else Scarlett was going to spill.

"Yep," She nodded her head. "And they was naked this morning." She burst out into another round of giggled as Ashley and Claudia smiled at their grand daughter.

"What its like to be young and in love." Claudia sighed, watching them both as Scarlett jumped off Ashley's knee and ran over to James and Clay.

"It's like they were never apart." Ashley couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips as she watched her daughter with the man she loves.

"How long have they been back together?" Claudia asked.

"Since last night." Ashley replied. "Hanna only split up with Jordan a week ago."

"Who's Jordan?"

"Hanna ex-fiancé, didn't Caleb tell you?"

"He hadn't told me anything." She sighed. "How long was she with this Jordan guy?"

"A year," She replied. "When Caleb left and Hanna found out she was pregnant, she was distraught and after Scarlett was born she tried to pretend that she was okay but she wasn't." Ashley glanced back at Hanna who had a huge grin on her face as she walked back inside with Caleb. She honestly hadn't seen her daughter this happy in years. "I think that's what Jordan was. Just something to help convince people that she was over Caleb and moving on with her life. But I knew she didn't love him, not the way she loves Caleb."

Claudia nodded in agreement. "I don't think I've ever seen two people more in love than those two."

Hanna and Caleb took their seats again at the table. The waitress brought over the dessert menu and Scarlett came bouncing over and sat between her parents.

"Is everyone enjoying their New Years Eve?" Claudia asked, looking around the table. "Why don't we all make resolutions?" She suggested.

"No mom," James groaned, rolling his eyes. "You always make them stupid like clean your room or watch less tv."

"I'll make a resolution with you." Ashley smiled. "To drink less wine."

Claudia raised her glass and clinked it with Ashley's. "What about you Caleb?" She looked at her eldest son pointedly.

"I don't like wine." He shrugged.

"Not wine," She rolled her eyes. "Why don't you finally give up smoking?"

"I don't smoke that much." He tried to justify himself but it did nothing when he looked up to two pairs of raised eyebrows.

"You used to smoke a packet a day." His mother sighed. "And what kind of example does it set for Scarlett and your brothers?" He rolled his eyes knowing she was using his daughter to guilt him into giving up. "Every cigarette you smoke shortens your life by three minutes." Claudia tried again.

He looked up to see Ashley and Claudia both looking at him waiting for a reply whilst James and Clay sniggered next to them. He looked down at Hanna who had the exact same expression as her mother and rolled his eyes. "Fine." He sighed, slumping down into his chair. "I'll try," Hanna smiled and leant up to peck his lips but he pulled her closer and kissed her for longer. "If it means I'll have more time with you and Scar." He whispered.

Hanna smiled and pulled Scarlett on to her knee, taking her seat so she could be closer to Caleb. She leant her head on his shoulder and watched as the waitress brought over Scarlett's ice-cream. "Come back to mine tonight?" He asked, pressing a kiss to the shell of her ear.

"What about Scar?" She asked looking up at him.

"Bring her too." Hanna sighed and looked forward not replying. "I just want one last night until you move out." He tried.

"Caleb we're moving five minutes down the street and it's not like we ever moved into yours properly."

"I know," He muttered. "But I want to wake up how we woke up this morning, all three of us together."

Hanna let out a smile at that comment and looked up at him. "Okay," She gave in. "But we're just sleeping, nothing else." She clarified.

"Just sleeping." He nodded, grinning too. "What are you doing tomorrow?"

"I promised my mom and Scar we'd have a girly New Year but you can come if you want."

"No, you have your girly day. I'll do something with my mom and brothers."

"Are you sure?"

"Course I am." He pecked her lips and wrapped his arm around her tighter.

* * *

Hanna watched as from the bathroom door as Caleb snuck back into his apartment, trying to keep as quiet as possible. "Where have you been?" She asked, stepping out and rolling her eyes.

He opened his mouth to say something but sighed when she spotted the cigarette packet in his hand. "It's not the New Year yet." He tried, smiling at the fact that she was dressed in just his grey hoodie.

"Not long." She gave a lazy smile back and rolled her eyes at him again.

He walked up to her pressing a kiss to her cheek as he put his cigarettes and lighter in the drawer before reaching for some sweat pants. Once he was changed he slipped into the side of his bed and pulled Hanna on to his chest, tugging the cover back over them both. Hanna leant over to check on Scarlett who was asleep next to them in the bed. "She went out like a light." Hanna whispered.

"Do you think she'll be upset that she missed the New Year?"

"Maybe, she was crying yesterday because we were supposed to go to Times Square." Hanna whispered. "I promised I'd take her next year though."

Caleb nodded as he watched his little girl sleep. "I think she had a good time in the park anyway."

"Yeah, she loved it and she thinks James and Clay are hilarious." Hanna smiled and pressed a kiss to Scarlett's cheek before settling on Caleb's chest.

He reached over and looped his finger through Scarlett's dainty hand, stroking it twice before he pulled away and wrapped his arm around Hanna. "I'm glad she got to meet my mom." He said after a few minutes.

"Me too." Hanna murmured, her eyes struggling to stay open. "Have you told your dad about her yet?"

"Not yet. I want to wait until she knows I'm her dad first." Caleb hands ran along her back again before he spoke again. "What were you talking about with my mom in the park?" He asked. "I saw you hugging, that's all."

Hanna let out a long sigh and brought her hand to rest in his chest. "We were talking about when Scarlett was a baby and she said I should have told her I was pregnant instead of keeping it a secret. Maybe if I had told her you would've know sooner?"

Caleb swallowed. "Stop thinking about the maybes, okay?" He kissed her temple as she nodded. There were probably a thousand maybes that would have changed how everything turned out but they weren't worth thinking about. All he wanted to think about now was that he was with both his girls and nothing was going to change that.

"And your mom told me that you were a mess when you went back to her." Hanna carried on. "She said you started drinking and smoking and... sleeping with a lot of girls." She trailed off at the end and looked down.

Caleb could her the tears starting to form in her voice and pulled her tighter against his chest. "I'm sorry." Of course his mom would let that slip. "I was heartbroken and I thought you didn't want to be with me anymore, l know there's no excuse-"

Hanna cut him off and sat up slightly so she could look him in the eye. "You don't need to apologise."

"I do-"

"No Caleb, you don't." She sighed and looked down to the pillow. "You did nothing wrong and look at me, I went and got engaged to someone just to try and get over you."

"So you didn't love him?" Caleb asked in a whisper, afraid of the answer.

Hanna brought her hand up to cup his cheek as she shook her head. "I liked him but I didn't love him. The only person I'll ever love is you."

Caleb couldn't hold back a grin as he pulled her down on top of him. "I love you too." He whispered, his lips ghosting over hers. "Always."

Hanna looked up as the sound of Fireworks went off in the distance. She glanced at the alarm clock and noticed it was midnight. "Happy New Year." She whispered, snuggling back down into Caleb's warm chest and closing her eyes. It was the start of a new year with all three of them, together as a family and she couldn't wait.

"I missed you." He murmured, pressing a kiss to her hair as he finally closed his eyes too.

"I missed you too."

* * *

 **Tell me what you think and if you'd like a preview xxxx**


	24. Chapter 24

Caleb eyes fluttered open when he felt the warmth that was wrapped around him being stripped from his bare chest and saw that Hanna was stood over him pulling of her coat. "What you doing?" He grumbled, shutting his eyes again and blindly reaching out for the duvet she had pulled back.

"Move up." She replied, kicking off her shoes and waiting for him to move over so she could get in the bed. He grunted in response so she rolled her eyes and slipped in next to him.

She pulled the duvet back up over them both and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Shit!" Caleb hissed as his eyes shot open again. "Your hands are freezing."

"It's cold outside." She mumbled laying her head on his shoulder. "I think it's gonna snow later."

Caleb let her wrap her arms around his warm body tighter to try and heat herself up. "Have you dropped Scar off at school?" After talking to the school about their move back to New York being cancelled they had let Scarlett have her place back.

"Yep, she didn't want to go back." Hanna chuckled. "She said she wanted to come and play with Caleb instead." Caleb grinned and nuzzled her hair. "Did your mom get back okay?"

"Yeah, her plane landed last night, she texted me." He answered.

"Do you have to go to work today?" She asked, closing her eyes.

"Nope." He murmured. "We can just lie in bed all day."

"Okay." Hanna let out a content sigh as she relaxed into his side. "Wait," She groaned. "If your not doing anything today can I ask a favour?"

"Depends." Caleb murmured back with a smirk on his face. "What kind of favour?"

She rolled her eyes and sat up. "I was going to ask if I could borrow your car to get the last of my stuff from Jordan's."

"Okay," He finally opened his eyes. "But I'll drive you."

"Are you sure?"

"Yep. No way am I letting you crash my car in the middle of New York." He smirked.

"I wouldn't crash it."

"Well, I'm not taking any chances." He leant down and pressed a kiss to her cheek. Really it was just an excuse to spend the day stuck in a car with her.

Hanna closed her eyes again and cuddled back into him until she felt his body moved underneath her. She opened her eyes to see him reaching into his bed side table. "What are you doing?"

Caleb's hand froze and he rolled his eyes before closing the drawer again. "Nothing."

She knew exactly what he was doing. "Didn't look like nothing."

"It was a reflex Han, I'm used to having a morning smoke in bed." He sighed grouchily.

"I thought you were serious about quitting?" She asked sitting up and raising one eyebrow at him.

"I am, it's just hard. I've smoked everyday for years and I just do it without thinking about it now." He sat up too and leant against the back headboard.

"When did you start smoking again, anyway?"

"When I was in Europe." He answered quietly. "I was on my own and all I could think about was you. It started as something to get my mind off how I fucked everything up but I guess I never stopped."

"You didn't fuck everything up Caleb." She said softly, leaning against his chest again.

He just mumbled something in response and sighed.

"Well," She began, tracing patterns on his chest. "If you meant what you said about never wanting to spend another day of your life without me then you should stop. Just think about all the extra time you can spend with me and Scar."

Caleb smiled and rested his arm around her back. "That's true."

"So..."

"So?"

"Are you going to quit?"

He stopped for a minute before leaning down and pressing a kiss to her lips. "For you and Scar."

"Good." She mumbled, leaning in to kiss him some more.

* * *

"Caleb, calm down." Hanna rolled her eyes as he scowled at the driver in front of them. "God your so grumpy today."

"I'm not grumpy." He murmured. "How far away are we from Jordan's?"

"About ten minutes." She replied looking out at the traffic that crammed the New York streets. She was used to it by now whereas Caleb had clearly forgotten how ten minutes could turn into and hour. He gripped the stealing wheel as he tried to distract himself from the craving that was eating him up. "If you really need one that bad then have one." Hanna sighed, pointing to the cigarette packet in the drinks compartment.

"I'm fine."

The car came to a stop and it was clear that it want going to be moving anytime soon. "Will we be back in time to pick Scar up?"

"I don't know," Hanna replied. "If not I'll text my mom and she can pick her up from school."

Caleb nodded and turned his attention back to the car in front. Hanna watched him, his arms we're twitching and he could barley keep still. She sighed and leant over to run her hand up his arm. "Relax," She whispered pressing a kiss to the shell of his ear.

"Sorry," He knew he had been grumpy for most if the car ride and it was all down to not having a smoke.

Hanna grinned at the adorable expression on his face and leant over to press a kiss to his lips. Her hands wrapped their way around his neck as she pushed her tongue into his mouth. He let out a content sigh as he nipped at her top lip and soothed the bite with his tongue. One of her hands traveled down his chest to his crotch, where she squeezed him firmly. Caleb moaned into their kiss and pulled back. "What are you doing?" He asked, breathlessly.

"Distracting you." She replied, leaning in again but Caleb pulled back grinning.

"Seriously Han, if we carry on we're gonna have to pull over somewhere." He smirked.

"Would that be such a bad thing?"

He bite his lip as she raised an eyebrow. She looked so beautiful with swollen lips and slightly disheveled hair. "Nope," He pressed a kiss to her cheek. "Except we're on our way to pick up your stuff from your ex's house."

Hanna let out a sigh and slumped back into her seat. "Don't remind me."

Forty minutes later they finally arrived at Jordan's condo. Hanna unlocked it and lead Caleb inside. His jaw dropped the minute he stepped through the door. It was huge, the kitchen alone was the size of his own apartment and it was decorated with expensive looking ornaments. "This place is huge."

Hanna nodded and made her way over to the kitchen, taking the cardboard boxes they had brought and setting them on the side.

Caleb followed her and grinned when something caught his eye. "You kept the table?" His hands ran over the wooden table sat in the centre of the kitchen with a vase of flowers on.

"Of course I did." The table had been a present from Claudia when they had moved into their apartment in Tribeca. "We made some pretty good memories on this thing." She smirked, running her hands along the scratch made by her very own fingernails. "I still don't know how I managed to scratch it."

Caleb came up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "I do," He breathed, leaving a trail of delicate kisses along her neck. "It went something like this." His hand looped around her waist and pulled her ass back against him as his other hand trailed up the jumper she was wearing, along her soft skin and under her bra before cupping her breast. Her breath caught in her throat and she shut her eyes as Caleb continued to suck and bite on her neck, clearly intending to leave a mark. She leant her hand on the table to balance herself and she felt him beginning to lower her forward until the sound of the front door opening broke them apart.

Caleb leapt back from Hanna as Jordan came into sight. "Jordan," Hanna gulped. "Hi." She had hoped she wouldn't run into him even though the chances were very slim. She just wanted to pack everything up with out any complications but clearly that wasn't going to happen.

Jordan's eyes flicked between Hanna and Caleb before he spoke. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to get the last on my things." She swallowed and watched as he looked behind her at Caleb. "And Caleb's helping me." A solid minute of silence passed as Jordan assessed the situation whilst Caleb stood there wishing he was somewhere else right now. "Why don't you start packing Scarlett's things away." Hanna suggested, handing Caleb a box and pointing him in the direction of Scarlett's room.

"So, this is really happening?" Jordan asked looking around the apartment.

"It is." She swallowed. "I'm just taking all of mine and Scarlett's stuff, you can keep the rest."

"I figured." He mumbled setting his work bag down.

Hanna chewed on her bottom lips and fumbled with the sleeve of her jumper as she thought of how to make this less awkward. "I'm sorry."

Jordan turned around to look at her. "Sorry that you cheated on me with him?" He scoffed. "Hanna, everything I have ever done has been for you and this is how you repay me?"

"I'm sorry," She repeated.

"I thought you were happy, I thought you loved me. Just tell me what I can do to make you stay and I'll do it." He was practically begging.

"There nothing you could've done or do." She replied, looking down slightly. "Either I'm a good actress or you don't know me as well as you thought you did because I wasn't happy. I just pretended to be because everyone else was happy but I can't keep doing that anymore. And I'm sorry I don't love you, I've always loved Ca-" She stopped herself.

"If you loved him then why did you get with me? Why did you agree to marry me?" Jordan raised his voice.

"After I had Scarlett I started to realise that Caleb wasn't ever coming back so I just busied myself with work and looking after Scar, but then I met you and you made the pain of him leaving more bearable. You offered a stable home and a family that I thought I could never give Scarlett on my own. But then Caleb came back..."

"And then Caleb came back." Jordan repeated shaking his head.

"I'm sorry Jordan, we'll just get everything and go." She said, picking up the other two boxes.

"Just tell me one thing?" He asked. "If he hadn't have come back would you have loved me?"

Hanna shook her head, there was no point lying to him now. "It's Caleb, it's always been Caleb." Without looking back she made her way to Scarlett's old room with the other boxes. The sooner they packed everything away the sooner she could be done with New York and Jordan for good.

She opened the door to find Caleb stood there with watering eyes, clearly having heard everything she had said to Jordan. He didn't hesitate to pull her into his arms and wrap them around her shoulders and she held him just as tightly. He leant down and pressed a kiss to her head letting her know that for him, it had always been her too.

* * *

It was early evening by the time they were back on the road with the car full of everything they were taking home. Caleb set back in his seat as the traffic stopped and looked out if the car window to the streets of New York. The cold frost had turned to snow as it fell to the ground from the darkening sky, although there wasn't enough for it to stick. He let out a sigh and looked up at the tall buildings ahead of them that reminded him of the tiny apartment him and Hanna used to own.

New York had been they're escape. After years of being stuck in Rosewood being tormented by Charlotte they got away. They bought an apartment; their first home together and started what was supposed to be their new live with each other. Instead their lives grew apart.

New York supposed to be their place. The place that symbolised how far they'd come and that made people think of them when they visited. Now it only symbolised how their relationship fell apart and intern so did their lives because with out the other one, they weren't themselves. They wern't Hanna or Caleb.

Caleb sighed again as looked over at Hanna who was staring out of her window too. He didn't need to ask to know she was thinking the same. Silently, he reached over and grasped her hand in his, locking their fingers together and squeezing tightly. She looked up at him and flashed a smile before pulling their joined hands on to her lap and placing her free hand on top.

Despite everything they had been through in the past six years they had found their way back to each other because sometimes, two people have to fall apart to realise exactly how much they need to fall back together.

* * *

 **Jordan's gone for good now which you'll be happy to hear. Let me know if you'd like a preview. Xxx**


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty Five

Hanna flopped on to the bed next to Caleb and let out a content sigh. They both caught their breath as their sweaty bodies lay tangled together under the duvet that covered Caleb's bed.

Once again he had the delight of waking up to Hanna peeling the warm covers from his body and climbing into the bed beside him which lead to him needing to warm her up.

Without speaking Hanna moved so her head was lay on his shoulder and her hand on his bare chest and Caleb wrapped his arm around her back. "Do you have to go to work today?" She asked.

"Yeah," He sighed, looking over at the time on his phone. "But I'm already an hour late so I might as well stay here with you." He mumbled, placing a kiss on the top of her head. She smiled and watched her hand trace patterns over his chest. "How was Scar this morning?" Caleb asked.

"She was grumpy as hell," Hanna muttered. "She refused to go to school until I told her I was collecting her early to get her cast taken off."

Caleb let out a small chuckle at how much his daughter was like her mother. "She gets it from you."

"What?"

"Being grouchy in the morning, your exactly the same." He replied.

Hanna rolled her eyes and huffed. "I'm not grouchy this morning."

Caleb smirked and nudged his nose against her ear. "You have me to thank for that." His breath was hot against her neck as he reminded her exactly how he had heated her body back up earlier. He ran his hand under the duvet to grope her naked ass as she pressed her lips to the base of his neck and snuggled closer.

"What about you?" She asked as he looked down at her. "Anymore withdrawal symptoms?" She couldn't help but laugh as he rolled his eyes.

"I'm getting there," He murmured. "I put the patch things on."

"I noticed," She smiled reach out to pick at the corner of one of the three nicotine patches on his upper arm. "And I'm pretty sure your only supposed to put one on at a time."

Caleb just shrugged in response and closed his eyes, breathing in her scent. "Can I ask you something?" Hanna looked up and nodded, wondering what it was. "When are we going to tell Scarlett about me?"

Hanna shrugged. "I don't really know. Whenever you feel ready and when Scarlett's totally comfortable with you."

"Well, you know her better than I do," He said with a sad tone to his voice. "When do you think she'll be ready?"

"Honestly, I think she's probably ready now. We see you everyday whether it's here or at my moms and she loves when you play with her and when your not with us she's always asking about you." She told him, grinning at the thought of their baby girl.

Caleb nodded and thought about what Hanna was saying. Maybe Scarlett was ready but was he? He was scared of all the questions Scarlett would ask that he didn't have answers for and more so what her reaction would be. Would she be happy that he was her daddy or would she be upset that he hadn't been involved in her life until a few months ago?

"What is it?" Hanna asked placing her hand on his arm, sensing he was deep in thought.

"I don't think I'm ready for her to know yet." He confessed. "I don't know how to be a good dad. I never had one so I have no idea what to do. What if I mess up and she gets hurt again?"

"Stop," Hanna said gently. "Caleb, your already an amazing daddy. You always play with her and make her laugh and she loves you." She pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Don't worry about not being a good father because your already better than both our dads combined, okay?"

He sighed in response. "But I feel like I've only seen Scar's good side and I want to see it all. I want to be there when she's upset or when she's being grumpy and stuborn."

Hanna smiled wilder and placed another soft kiss to his cheek. That's why she loved him. He wasn't just there for the easy parts that were easy and fun. He would be there through it all.

Being a parent wasn't easy, as Hanna had come to learn over the last few years, sometimes it was damn hard. Sometimes she wanted to crawl into a hole and cry from the responsibility that came with a child. But Caleb telling her he wanted to experience it all; that good and the bad, reassured her that she was right about him being amazing father already.

"We can wait then." She said simply, lying back down in his chest.

"What if she figures it out before we tell her?" Caleb asked. "She saw the pictures from when we were younger and she might guess."

"I don't think so." Hanna shook her head. "She doesn't really understand what it takes for a baby to be made."

"Okay." Caleb sighed simply as Hanna cuddled into him more.

"Our table looks good." She smirked, looking around the apartment to where the table was sat. "But there's not enough room for it where you have it."

"There's no room for it anywhere Han. My apartments too small."

"Don't you dare throw it out." She warned looking at him with stern eyes.

Caleb looked her in the eyes as the tone in her voice changed and laughed. "Never." He pecked her lips.

"Good." She kissed him back but pulled away as his hands started to wonder. "You should go to work," She groaned. "You can't loose your job because of me."

"I don't care about my job," He muttered. "I'm going to quit anyway."

"Why?!"

"Because I've started looking for a better one. One that pays more so I can start looking for somewhere else to live." He shrugged.

"What's wrong with this apartment?" She asked. She loved this apartment, it reminded her of when they were teenagers and would just lounge around in it all day in their underwear.

"I'm twenty six Han, I can't keep living in an apartment payed for by my mom."

"Well I'm twenty six too and I still live with my mom."

Caleb just raised his eyebrows at her. "It's not the same. Besides," He started. "I was thinking of saving up and buying a house."

"A house? Why a house?"

Caleb looked at her for a few seconds to see if she would catch on but the adorable confused expression stayed stuck to her face. "So I can live in it." He said slowly, "With you and Scarlett."

Hanna grinned at his cuteness but then frowned. "Your starting to look now?"

"Yeah, it'll take me a few months to save up for a deposit so now is a perfect time to start looking."

"Oh," Hanna gulped.

"Is that it?" Caleb asked sitting up. He'd thought she'd have been more excited. "Oh?"

"No. It- it's great," She shook her head. "It's..."

"What's wrong?" He asked. He knew when she was lying and she definitely was now.

"Nothing. Why?"

"Because you sound like there is." He sighed. "Do you not want us to live together?"

"No, I do." She answered sitting up as well. "But It's a bit soon don't you think?"

"Not really." He shrugged.

"It's been six years Caleb since we were last together. Don't you think were rushing things?"

"I'm not asking you to move in right this second. It will take a while to even buy a house let alone move in."

"I know but-"

"Look," He sighed. "If you don't want to live with me then just say so."

"I do but-"

"But what Hanna?" He snapped.

She just looked down at the sheets and said nothing in response. Caleb let out an exasperated sigh and ran a hand through his hair. One minute she was telling him Scarlett was ready to know he was her father and the next she was shutting down the idea of them all living together. She could be so confusing sometimes. "I'm going for a shower." He mumbled, pulling back the duvet and walking over to his bathroom.

Hanna closed her eyes and flopped back on to the bed. The thought of buying a house together excited her but it also scared her at the same time. They had only been back in a relationship a few weeks and it seemed to a big step. But was it? Her and Caleb had been together for years before they broke up and moving in together would give them a chance to finally be a proper family with Scarlett.

She bit her lip and pulled his duvet up around her chest, deciding to stay in the bed until he came out of the shower so they could talk then. Her eyes once again wondered around his apartment as she herd the shower turning on in the bathroom and stopped beside his bed where a tatty shoe box was tucked halfway under.

She leant down and pulled it out, instantly recognising it as the one she had given him that was full of the pictures she had saved of Scarlett. Opening the lid she found two pictures on the top: one of her with a three month old Scarlett asleep in her arms and another of Scarlett from when she was two with cookie crumbs covering her face.

Hanna laughed at the picture and ran her finger over her baby girls cheek. She hated how Caleb had to live all these memories through static photos instead of being there with her to laugh along with their little girl.

She sighed and put the photos back in the box and glancing over to his bedside table where the wooden necklace Scarlett had made him a christmas was. She couldn't fight her grin at the sigh of it but before she could think about it anymore Caleb came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. They were both silent as he slipped on some clothes and she waited for the right time to speak.

"I'm going to work." Caleb broke the silence pulling on his jacket and looking over at her.

"Okay." She mumbled and watched him leave before she had the chance to speak.

* * *

Hanna pulled her coat around herself tighter as she made her way into the Radley to find her mother. It didn't take long when she spotted Ashley stood behind the desk. "Can I borrow your car to take Scarlett to get her cast off?"

"I thought Caleb was taking you?" Ashley asked looking up from her computer. She could read her daughters body language so well and knew instantly something had happened. "Did you have an argument?"

"No," Hanna sighed. "I don't really know what it was but he's at work now."

"What was it about?"

"He wants to start looking for a house." She explained. "For him, me and Scar."

"That's great Han, why did you argue?"

"We didn't argue." She mumbled. "And I don't know, I just think it's a bit soon."

Ashley just sighed and handed Hanna her car keys. "Don't push him away again."

Hanna mumbled a quick thanks and took the keys. Her mom usually gave good advice but this time she was wrong. She wasn't trying to push Caleb away, in fact she was doing the opposite. She was scarred that if the moved in together properly them what happened in New York would happen again and they'd end up with broken hearts all over again.

She was still stuck in her own thoughts as she collected Scarlett and they headed to the hospital. "I thought Caleb was coming?" The five year old asked.

"He's at work baby," Hanna sighed. She hated that their argument- or whatever it was meant that Caleb couldn't be here with their daughter. "Maybe we'll see him later." Scarlett nodded as they took heir seats in the waiting area.

"Mommy," Scarlett patted Hanna's arm, breaking the silence. "Is Caleb your boyfriend?"

"He is." Hanna replied, grinning at her daughters cuteness.

"Is that why you kiss him a lot? And you cuddle naked?" Scarlett asked innocently.

Hanna blushed and tapped her daughters nose. "Don't tell anyone about that."

"Why not?"

Hanna struggled to explain. "Because... it's rude." She finally got out.

"Oh," Scarlett furrowed her eyebrows. "I already told grandma Ash and Caleb's mommy." She confessed, shrugging like it was no big deal. "And James and Clay."

Hanna shook her head, fighting a grin. "Just don't tell anyone else, okay?"

"Okay." Scarlett mumbled and watched as a nurse walked over to them.

"Are you Scarlett Marin?" She asked. "Come with me and we'll get that cast taken off." She smiled before standing up and leading them to a free bed.

Hanna helped Scarlett onto the side and stood beside her. "It's been over six weeks now so everything should be healed." The nurse explained. "Your wrist might still be a little sore and stiff so you'll need to do some stretches everyday but apart from that everything looks good."

"Can I go swimming now?" Scarlett piped up.

The nurse smiled down at her as starts cutting at the cast. "You'll have to be careful and not use your wrist too much but you should be okay to swim."

"Thank you." Hanna smiled once the cast was off and the nurse had showed them the wrist exercises.

Scarlett jumped off the bed and took Hanna's hand as she inspected her left wrist. "What are we doing now?"

Hanna looked up from her phone as another call to Caleb went to voice mail. She sighed and looked down at Scarlett. "We're going to surprise Caleb."

* * *

 **I know, I hate it when they argue too but I promise all will be well again next chap. Xx**

 **And I posted a new story the other day 'If I Stay' so please go take a look. Xx**

 **Leave a review and let me know if you want a preview. Xxx**


	26. Chapter 26

The sound of laughter could be heard from all the way down the corridor as Caleb approached his apartment. He was confused at first until he remembered that he had left Hanna in his bed when he went to work that morning.

He opened the door and found Hanna stood at his kitchen counter top with Scarlett sat on the edge. There was a bowl in the middle of them and what looked like a tray of cakes on the side.

"Hi Caleb!" Scarlett exclaimed, spotting him at the door.

"Hey," He replied, walking closer to them and looking at the huge mess they had made. "What are you doing?" He asked looking at Hanna but Scarlett answered instead.

"We made you cupcakes coz mommy said she made you sad so now we're making you happy again." She grinned as she took a handful of sprinkles and dumped them on an iced cupcake.

Caleb looked over at Hanna who was offering him a small smiled and he placed his hand on her lower back. "You didn't," He told her.

She bit her lips and looked up at him. "I did and I'm sorry."

"I'm not upset Han, I just wish you'd tell me why you don't want us to buy a house."

"I've been trying to all day but you've been ignoring my calls."

"I wasn't ignoring you, I forgot my phone this morning." She just raised as eyebrow, unconvinced. "It's over there." He pointed to his bed side table where his phone was.

"Oh," She chewed on her bottom lip again. "Sorry,"

"Stop apologising." He gave her a small smile. "You've done nothing wrong."

She ran her hand down his arm and squeezed it comfortingly. "I do want to move in with you and Scar, in a huge house with a garden so we can be a proper family." She started. "But I just think we're taking things too fast. We only just got back together and what if..." She's trailed off.

"What if what?" Caleb asked.

"What if we rush into things then we'll go back to how we were before we broke up. Always arguing and barley seeing each other because I was so busy working."

"Hanna that's not going to happen again." He reassured her looping his arms around her waist. "I promise."

"I know," She sighed, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I know. I just-" She looked down. "I'm scared of getting hurt again."

Caleb's hands left her waist to grasp her cheeks and bring her eyes up to meet his. "Your not going to get hurt again, okay? You and Scarlett are everything to me and I'm not going to leave you again. Ever."

"You better start saving up then." Hanna smiled taking Caleb by surprise.

"I thought...?" He trailed off, she could be so confusing sometimes.

"You said it will take a while so we might as well start now." She grinned up at him and placed a kiss to his lips. "I got you a present as well." She pulled back as she reached for her bag and pulled out a package wrapped in tissue paper.

"You didn't need to get me a present Han." He told her as he started to open it.

"It's a late Christmas present." She shrugged watching as he pulled out three photo frames. One of Scarlett as a toddler, one of herself and Scarlett when she was a new born and one of her and Caleb when they were teenagers. "I saw those two pictures earlier in the box I gave you." She said, pointing to the photos of Scarlett. "And I found this one at my moms the other day." She pointed to the one of them together as teenagers. "Now you can put them up."

He pulled away from her and walked around to his bed, placing the three frames on his bedside table and dangling the pink wooden necklace he kept there over the corner of the picture of Scarlett, before coming back to her. "Thank you." He smiled. Now he go to see Hanna and Scarlett's beautiful faces every time he woke up.

Hanna grinned and leant up to kiss him again. "I love you."

"Love you too." He kissed back. "Now where's my cake?" He looked up to Scarlett who had covered all the cupcakes in a thick layer of icing and pink and silver sprinkles.

"You can have the biggest one." She handed him a cake as Hanna leant her head on his shoulder.

"Are they good?" She asked looking up as Scarlett handed her one as well.

"Very good." Caleb nodded with a mouthful of cake.

"It was all Scar," Hanna grinned at her baby girl as she helped herself to a cupcake as well. "I barley did anything."

"It was all me." Scarlett giggled licking the icing from around her lips before she leant closer to Caleb and shoved her left hand in his face. "Look, I got my cast taken off."

"You did." He smiled. "Is it all better now?"

"Yeah," She replied looking down at the soft skin. "The nurse said I can go swimming now. I haven't been swimming in forever." She exaggerated, rolling her eyes.

"Why don't we go now them?" Caleb suggested.

"Yeah! Can we go swimming now Mommy?" She cheered.

Hanna looked up to see two pairs of chocolate brown eyes looking down at her expectantly. She rolled her yes and nodded. "I don't see why not. But your going to have to be really careful of your wrist."

"I will be." Scarlett replied excitedly, jumping off the counter and taking Caleb's hand. "Let's go swimming!"

* * *

They arrived at Rosewood's indoor pool and payed before heading to the changing rooms. Caleb was first to come out of the men's and waited for Hanna and Scarlett by the entrance to the pool.

A huge grin spread across his face when he saw them coming and his eyes wondered to the black bikini Hanna was wearing. He couldn't remember the last time he saw her in a bikini. "My face is up here." She said, raising her eyebrows at him.

His eyes shot up from her chest and he smirked before looking down at Scarlett who was wearing a pink frilly costume and floaties on her arms. "Are you ready to do some swimming Scar?"

"Yeah," She grinned and started skipping towards the pool.

"Wait," Hanna called holding out her hand for Scarlett. "Hold my hand, I'm not having you breaking another bone."

Scarlett took her hand with a small huff and carried on walking. "No one else is here." She said once the pool came into sight.

"We'll have it all to our selves then." Hanna smiled as the reached the steps. She let go of Scarlett's hand and made her way down.

Scarlett was quick to start swimming up and down the shallow end where as Hanna stood in the water for a few seconds letting her body adjust to the cold water. She felt a hand run down her back and rest on her butt. "Come on," Caleb smiled taking her hand and pulling her further in.

"It's freezing."

"It's not." He shook his head and patted her ass again encouraging her into the water.

"Come on mommy!" Scarlett called, swimming over to them.

"I'm coming," Hanna huffed, walking further into the water.

Scarlett laughed and splashed some water Hanna's way but ended up spraying Caleb instead. He grinned her her and splashed her back drenching her in water and making her giggle even more.

"Don't even think about splashing me." Hanna muttered as she finally got used to the water and started swimming up and down the pool.

"Mommy's boring," Scarlett rolled her eyes. "Your more fun than her Caleb." She started swimming over to him and he held out his hands for her to take.

"I am." He nodded, watching as she reached for his hands and he moved them back the second she was about to grab them.

She looked up at him and giggled before swimming closer and reaching for his hands but he took a few steps back again with a smirk on his face. "Caleb." She laughed at his teasing and sent a big splash in his direction.

Caleb wiped the water out of his eyes and held his hands out again, this time letting her take them. "Your annoying." She told him through a laugh.

"I'm what?" He asked raising his eyebrows and holding in a laugh as he gently pulled her along the water.

"Your annoying." She told him again. At that he pulled her forward and started tickling her under the water. She burst into hysterical giggles and squirmed in his arms.

Hanna looked over at them from where she was swimming and couldn't help but laugh along with them. Whenever she saw them together she couldn't wipe away the huge smile that graced her lips.

She watched as Caleb's tickling stopped and Scarlett started to climb out of the side of the pool with his help. She took her floaties off and stood by the edge.

"You have to catch me Caleb, okay." She told him as he held out his arms ready. She jumped into the water with a big splash and Caleb's arms came straight around her pulling her up.

"Are you okay?" He asked, wiping some of her blonde hair out of her face.

She grinned at him and rubbed her eyes. "Again!" He helped her out of the water and she looked over to Hanna. "Mommy watch this." She called.

Again she stepped up to the edge of the pool as Caleb waited with open arms. She bent her knees jumped up into the water but, at last minute her foot slipped and she ended up crashing into the water.

Caleb was quick to wrap his arms around her little body and bring her up to his chest as she coughed out some water she must have swallowed. "Are you okay?" He asked.

She shook her head and clung onto him as a few tears fell from her eyes. "Hey, don't cry." Caleb soothed wiping her tears. "Your okay, you just belly flopped in."

She gave him a small smile and coughed again, wiping her own tears away. Caleb couldn't help but smile at how tight her arms were holding onto him as he rubbed her back and let her know she was safe in his arms.

Hanna was quickly by their side and placed a hand on her daughters back. "Are you okay baby?"

Scarlett turned her head to look at Hanna and nodded. "Caleb saved me." She giggled leaning her head against his shoulder.

Hanna grinned and placed on hand on Caleb's back lovingly. "He did."

* * *

Hanna slowly opened the bathroom door and crept inside, looking back to the sofa where Scarlett was fast asleep, wrapped up in a blanket.

She turned back around and smirked when she saw the outline of a tanned body moving behind the steamy glass.

He hadn't heard her enter so she quietly peeled off her clothes and opened the shower door, stepping inside.

Caleb instantly turned around and and surprised expression graced his face. "What are you doing?" He asked, trying to hold back a smirk.

"Saving water." She replied simply, stepping forward to wrap her arms around his neck.

Caleb grinned and leant forward to kiss her but pulled back. "What about Scar?"

"She fell asleep." Hanna replied and Caleb let out a murmur if approval before he crashed his lips against hers. He slipped his tongue between her lips and stepped back so they were both under the shower jet.

His hands ran down her side and he grabbed her soft wet asscheeks as her hand roamed his back and shoulder, digging her nails into his skin. He sucked on her bottom lips and his hands ran along her wet body again and moaned into the kiss before pulling away.

He leant down and pressed a kiss to her cheek before he spun them around so her back was pressed again the shower wall and lifted her up. Her legs looped around his waist as she leant back in to kiss him all over again.

 **Tell me what you think and if you'd like a preview Xxx**


	27. Chapter 27

**This is the chapter you've al been waiting for and I'm so excited to finally post it. Xx**

* * *

Chapter Twenty Seven

Caleb stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jacket as he stood in the school playground, waiting for Scarlett. He was standing at the back of a group of parents and could just about see over them to the door as children around Scarlett's age started filtering out. He watched as girls and boys burst through the door impatiently wanting to get as far away from school as they could.

Two minutes later he was starting to panic when Scarlett was yet to appear at the door and started going over the directions Hanna had given him before she went to sign a package for her Mom at the Radley, he was sure he was stood in the right place.

Another minute passed before he spotted a little blonde haired child leave the building. He almost had to look twice when he saw that Scarlett's usual cheeky grin wasn't plastered to her face and instead her eyes were red and her bottom lips stuck out. He walked forward to meet her half way as she kept her gaze low and dragged her backpack behind her. "Are you okay, Scar?" He asked, reaching out for her bag.

She sniffled and nodded not meeting his eyes. "Where's Mommy?" She asked.

"She had to run to the Radley really quick but she'll be back soon." He explained.

"Oh," Was all she said and Caleb could see tears filling her eyes again.

He squatted down to her level and took her dainty hand in his. "Why are you upset?" Her lip quivered and tears started to fall from her eyes. Caleb was quick to pull her into his chest and her little arms wrapped around his neck.

His heart broke at the sight of is daughter so upset and he was determined to know why. He tried to pull back to speak to her but she was clinging on to his jacket too tight. Instead he wrapped his arm around her waist and lifted her up, walking to the nearest bench and sitting them down.

Finally managing to pull her head away from his chest, he leant forward and wiped her soft cheeks of the tears that covered them. "What's wrong?" He asked again softly. He was really starting to worry about why she was so upset.

"Abi doesn't want to be my best friend anymore," She spluttered. "She wants to be best friends with Holly instead."

Caleb couldn't help but feel slightly relived that it want anything more serious but it still hurt him that she was so upset. "Why not?"

"I don't know," She shrugged her shoulders as a fat tear ran down her cheek. "Now I have no one to play with."

Caleb didn't know either. He didn't understand women and there ways so he had no idea what went on between five year old girls. "What about your friend from dancing? With the brown hair?"

"Freya doesn't come to this school." She mumbled, looking down at her feet. "Now I don't have a best friend."

Caleb wrapped his arm around her tighter. "What other friends do you have that you can play with?" He asked.

She shrugged again and was back to staring at her feet. He knew that more tears were coming and that's the last thing he wanted so he pulled her body against his chest and pressed a kiss to the top of her hair.

"Can you be my best friend, Caleb?" She mumbled against his shoulder, causing him to let out a wide smile.

"Of course I can." He grinned. "We can play tea parties and princesses and you can braid my hair." He carried on jokingly, hoping to get a smile out of her and was please when she let out a giggle.

"I can't braid your hair." She laughed.

"Why not?"

"Coz' it's too short." She laughed again, leaning up to run her fingers through his dark hair. "But you can still be my best friend."

"Good," He grinned.

"Your funny and kind and your not mean like Abi is." She carried on, leaning into his chest as he tightened his grip on her.

Hanna walked through the gates of the school playground and found it completely empty apart from two figures sat on a bench in the far corner. She took a few steps closer and realised that it was Scarlett and Caleb.

As she approached them she noticed her daughter wasn't her usually smiley self and she was curled up into Caleb's chest. "What's happened?"

Caleb looked up as he noticed her there for the first time and moved along the bench so she could sit down. Scarlett looked up and reached her hands out for her Mommy.

"Come here baby," Hanna gave her a small smile as she settled herself on her knee, facing Caleb. "Why have you been crying?"

"Abi wants to be best friends with Holly instead of me." She mumbled looking down at her shoes. "She said I can't play with them anymore."

"Why did she say that?" Hanna asked, stroking her soft cheek.

"I don't know." Scarlett shrugged and her eyes filled with tears again.

"Hey," Hanna soothed wiping away her baby girls tears before they fell. "Don't cry." She pulled Scarlett closer and pressed a kiss to her head. She knew how mean children could be, even more so than adults and she hated that Scarlett had to put up with that. "Maybe it's a good thing that your not friends anymore so she won't keep being mean."

Scarlett's little head nodded. "But I don't have anyone to play with."

"What about Amber? I was talking to her Mommy the other day and she was going to start at your ballet class." Hanna encourage Scarlett to sit up as she spoke so she could see her pretty little face.

"Is she?" Scarlett asked in a hopeful voice with a small smile on her face and Hanna nodded. "I like Amber, she's nice." Then she looked up to Caleb. "Caleb's gonna be my best friend though." She announced, grinning.

"Is he?" Hanna laughed looking up to Caleb.

"Yep. We're gonna have tea parties and play princesses." Scarlett answered shuffling off Hanna's knee and grabbing his hand as all her tears were forgotten. "Let's go home."

Caleb stood up when Scarlett took his hand and started leading him towards the school gates. Hanna remained seated though, as she watched them interacting. Her heart clenched at the sight of them both walking hand in hand and she felt a sudden rush for them to be complete and Scarlett to know the truth. Right from the very start she had wanted to take things slow and Caleb agreed, knowing that was what was best for Scarlett but seeing how far their relationship had come from a few months ago when she had never heard of Caleb to now she knew it was time.

Her thought train was broken when Caleb turned around. "Come on Han," He called back.

She smiled and stood up to catch up with them, thinking of how they were going to tell Scarlett everything.

* * *

"Are you sure? Do you think she's ready?" Caleb asked looking over at Scarlett who was playing with her pony on the carpet in his apartment.

"I told you, she's ready." Hanna confirmed, smiling at his concern as she sat down next to him on the sofa and pressed a kiss onto his cheek. "Stop worrying."

"I'm not worried, I just don't know what to say." He ran a hand through his hair nervously.

"I'll do the talking then." Hanna smiled and looked over at their daughter. "Scar, can you come here baby?"

The little girl nodded and dropped her pony before walking over to her mother. "What?"

Hanna patted her knee and Scarlett climbed on. "Me and Caleb want to talk to you."

She looked up at Caleb and he gave her a smile. "About what?"

"Well, do you remember when I told you that for a baby to be made it needs a mommy and a daddy?" Hanna asked. Scarlett nodded and furrowed her eyebrows on confusion. "So that means that everyone has a mommy and a daddy even if they don't know them." Hanna carried on. Scarlett had no idea what was coming so Hanna tried to ease her into it. "Well, when I was in high school Caleb was my boyfriend and when we graduated we moved to New York together."

"Did you love him?" Scarlett interrupted looking up at Hanna.

"I did, a lot." She replied smiling at Scarlett's cuteness before turning to Caleb and meeting his gaze. "I still do." She got lost in his dark eyes for a few seconds before she pulled away. "Anyway, when we were living in New York, me and Caleb had an argument and we didn't mean to break up but we did and he went to Europe."

"What's Europe?"

"It's a continent, where Spain and France and England is." She explained.

Scarlett nodded and settle back into Hanna. "Before we broke up in New York though, we made you, but we didn't know that you was in my tummy yet."

Scarlett looked over at Caleb. "You didn't know mommy was having a baby?" He shook his head. Hanna placed her hand on his knee and gave him a reassuring smile. "But you get fat when you have a baby?"

"That's when the baby is ready to be born. You was only the size of a grape then." Hanna explained. Scarlett giggled slightly at the thought of being compared to a grape.

Once her giggles died down she furrowed her eyebrows again and looked up at her mother. "Does that mean Caleb is my daddy?" She asked. Hanna nodded slowly, wanting to see how she would react. "Oh," Her eyebrows stayed furrowed and she looked over at Caleb trying to process this new information. "But why wasn't you there when I was a baby? Daddies are supposed to be with their babies when they're borned."

Caleb opened his mouth to reply but nothing came out. He didn't have a excuse except the fact that he simply didn't know. And that wasn't good enough.

Hanna could see Caleb was struggling and ran her thumb along his knee before replying for him. "Sometimes things don't happen the way they're supposed to and that's what happened with Caleb being your daddy. It wasn't his fault, or your fault, or anybody's fault. That's just the way it happened but we've got him back now and we're not loosing him again. That's all that matters."

Caleb watched as all the information sank into Scarlett's head. He didn't know what he was expecting her reaction to be but it still came as a shock to him.

A huge grin spread across her face and she flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. It took him a few seconds to register what was happening but he slowly placed his arms around her and held her close. He closed his eyes and breathed in her sweet strawberry scent. She really was beautiful.

Scarlett pulled back slightly and sat on Caleb's knee. "I'm happy your my daddy." She smiled, leaning back in and snuggling her head into his neck.

"So am I." For the first time in six years he felt complete. He had Hanna by his side and Scarlett in his arms. His family. He knew that as Scarlett grew older there would be more questions about his absence in her life and when she was old enough he would sit her down and explain everything in more detail, but for now it was perfect.

Hanna reached her hand behind Caleb to rest it in the back of his hair and she beamed at both her loves. They looked so precious in each other's arms and she wanted watch them for hours but she couldn't. There was one more thing she wanted to talk about and neither of them knew about it. "There's one more thing,"

Scarlett looked up at her as she happily lay on Caleb's chest, messing with the hem of his sleeve whereas Caleb frowned, wondering what else Hanna wanted to say.

She rubbed her thumb along the top of his neck and began. "We need to put your name on the birth certificate."

"Isn't it already on there?" He asked having presumed it would be.

Hanna shook her head. "I tried to get it put on when I registered her birth but you needed to be present so I couldn't."

"What's a birth certififat?" Scarlett asked.

"It's a certificate that shows when you were born and who your mommy and daddy are." Hanna explained. "So we need to get your daddy's name on it."

"Won't we have to get a new one?" Caleb asked.

"Nope, I read online that we can just add your name to it because I left it blank." Hanna replied. "But if we want to change Scars name we'll have to apply for a new one."

"I don't want to change my name," Scarlett's head shot up. "I like being called Scarlett."

"Your last name silly," Hanna chuckled. "When your born your supposed to get your daddy's last name but you've got mine. You can change it if you like?" This wasn't something that they had ever discussed but she knew how much it would mean to Caleb for Scarlett to have his surname. She had seen the pained expression on his face when she told him their daughter was called Scarlett Ashley Marin a few months ago.

"What would it change to?" Scarlett asked.

"Rivers," Caleb replied. "You'd be called Scarlett Rivers instead of Scarlett Marin, but you don't have to change it if you don't want." He didn't want to pressure her into changing her name because he wanted it all to be her choice, although Scarlett Rivers definitely sounded better.

"Rivers is better than Marin." Scarlett stuck her tongue out at Hanna and giggled.

"So you want to change it?"

"Yeah, I want to be called Rivers like you." She looked up at Caleb and grinned.

"Okay," Hanna smiled. "You're now called Scarlett Ashley Rivers." She tapped her daughters nose. "We can go and get the form to change it now if you want?" She looked up at Caleb who nodded. He wanted to get this done as soon as possible.

"Yeah!" Scarlett cheered and hopped of his knee. "Come on Caleb,"

At her words, Caleb's heart dropped a little. He had assumed once she knew he was her father she would start calling him Daddy and it stung a little that she still called him by his first name but he knew it was stupid to expect her to call him something different when she had been calling him Caleb all this time.

"What's up?" Hanna asked as she stood up too and started to pull on her coat.

He shook his head and smiled realising that he really didn't care what Scarlett called him. She knew he was her Dad and that was all that matter and maybe with time she'd grow into the habit of calling him Daddy.

He leant down and pressed a kiss to her lips before he was pulling his coat in too and they were all heading out the apartment to official become a family.

* * *

 **I hope you liked how they told Scar and her reaction.**

 **Let me know what you think and if you'd like a preview. Xxx**


	28. Chapter 28

**Thank you for all your reviews last chapter, there's only two more left after this so enjoy Xx**

* * *

Chapter Twenty Eight

"So this is what a dance rehearsal is like?" Caleb asked sitting down on a seat next to Hanna.

"Yep," she smiled watching as Scarlett ran through to the dance studio with her pink tutu on. "We just sit here for the next hour and drink over priced coffee." Caleb laughed and wrapped his arm around her shoulder bringing her closer to him. She rested her head on his shoulder and looked trough the glass to where Scarlett was. A few minutes later Hanna could feel eyes on her and turned around the find all the others Moms gathered together, whispering among themselves. She rolled her eyes and turned back to Caleb. "They're talking about us again."

Caleb looked over and rolled his eyes too. He was tempted to give them the middle finger but that probably wasn't a good idea at his daughters dance class. "Ignore them."

"It's kinda hard when they're calling you a slut in your ear." She murmured.

"They're not calling you a slut Han."

"Well they're thinking it. Why can't they just come out and say something instead of staring at us?"

Caleb rolled his eyes and moved his hand down to squeeze her thigh. "Let's give them something to look at then." He smirked and before Hanna could do anything his lips were against hers and his hand gripped her chin as their tongues melted together. Hanna's hand moved to his arm pulling his hand away and then her lips with a small smirk on her face.

"Why'd you stop?" Caleb asked, wiping his lips incase any lipstick had transferred from Hanna's.

"Because our daughters dancing behind the glass and can probably see us." She laughed, wiping the red stain from the corner of his lips. "And she's already seen too much."

"I'm taking you out tonight then." Caleb announced, placing his hand back on her upper thigh.

"Where?"

"I don't know." He shrugged.

"Well I need to know so I'll know what to wear." She huffed.

"You always look hot, babe." He smirked leaning down to press another kiss against her lips.

"Mysterious date night with Mr Rivers," She bit her lip and grinned up at him. "I like the sound of that."

They were interrupted when the door opened and all the kids came running through for their five minute break. Scarlett raced over to them with one of her friends following and scrambled up on to Caleb's knee. "Look, I told you my daddy came." She said to her friend as Caleb wrapped his arms around her waist. "Your my daddy aren't you Caleb?"

He nodded and watched as her friend furrowed her eyebrows. "If he's your daddy then why do you call him Caleb?" She asked.

Scarlett fell silent and looked up at Caleb with big eyes and an uncertain look. He tucked a piece if her hair behind her ear and grinned at her. "You can call me whatever you like."

A smile spread across her face and she turned to look back at her friend but she had ran over to her Mother. Caleb wrapped his arms around her tighter and started to tickle her sides. "Stop Caleb," She giggled leaning over to Hanna to get away from him.

Hanna smiled at them both and settled Scarlett on her knee as she picked up her drink. "Have you watched me dancing Caleb?"

"I have," He smiled. "Your very good."

"I don't want to be a vet when I grow up anymore," She looked up at Hanna. "I want to be a ballerina."

"You can be whatever you want to be." Hanna said, pressing a kiss to her head. "You'd be an amazing ballerina."

"Your five minutes is up." The dance teacher called from the door way as all the children scattered back into the studio.

"Keep watching me dance." Scarlett called as she jumped off Hanna's knee and skipped into the studio. She went straight over to the glass pane and pressed her nose against it, peeking through to see her parents.

"Look at her," Caleb laughed watching his daughters swished up face as she burst out laughing.

* * *

"I'm gonna get it!" Scarlett called as loud as she could as she sprinted to the front door in her pyjamas and flung herself into Caleb's arms.

He laughed and wrapped his arm around her as she settled on his hip and he closed the door behind himself. He carried her through to the living room where Hanna was sat. "Hey, your early." She smiled already dressed for their date as she sat up and pecked his lips.

"I wanted to see you before you went to bed." He smiled down at Scarlett as he sat on the sofa and squeezed her side, moving her to his lap.

"Grandma Ash is gonna read me a story coz your taking mommy on a date." She told him. "Where are you taking her?"

"I don't know yet." He shrugged.

Scarlett smiled her cheeky grin and leant up to whisper rather loudly in his ear. "Are you gonna kiss her?"

Caleb pursed his lips and tickled her sides. "Definitely." He replied, smirking over at Hanna.

"I thought I heard giggling." Ashley smiled as she entered the living room to the sight of Caleb and Scarlett laughing together. "How are you Caleb?"

"I'm good," He replied as Scarlett riggled on his lap to get away from his tickling.

"Guess what, Grandma?" She called taking hold of Caleb's hands so he couldn't tickle her anymore. "Caleb's my daddy."

"I know he is." Ashley smiled fondly at her granddaughter. "You told me the other day, when your new birth certificate came, remember?"

"Oh yeah," Scarlett nodded as a yawn escaped her lips. "I forgot."

"Bed time." Hanna chimed, noticing Scarlett's yawn.

"What story are we reading?" Scarlett asked, hopping off Caleb's lap and facing Ashley.

A grin appeared on the older woman's lips as she looked over Scarlett's shoulder to where Caleb was sat. "Why doesn't Caleb read you a story tonight? I bet he'd love to."

Scarlett's face instantly lit up and she ran back over to him, taking his hand and pulling him up. "Yeah, you can read me a story!" She cheered.

"Come give me a kiss then." Hanna called pulling her daughter closer and pressing sloppy kisses to her face. "Night, love you."

"Love you too." Scarlett mumbled as she gave Ashley her goodnight kiss too. Then she took Caleb's hand again and didn't let go of it whole way up to her room until she walked over to her book shelf and picked a book out. "Can we read this one?" She asked holding up a glittery pink book with two fairies on the front.

"If you want." Caleb smiled and watched as she climbed into her bed and patted the mattress next to her.

Caleb sat down on the bed, propped his feet up and leant back against the headboard. Scarlett lifted up one of his arms and moved herself onto his knee. Her little body curled into his chest with her teddy by her side and her hand clinging onto his shirt as he started reading.

Half way through Caleb looked down and noticed Scarlett was struggling to keep her eyes open. He set the book down beside the bed and pulled the duvet up, placing his hand on her back soothingly. "Night," He whispered leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead.

"Night night," She whispered back. "Love you."

All of a sudden, Caleb's heart clenched and his eyes glassed over. To most other Fathers those two words would be said everyday and bring a smile to their faces, but for Caleb it meant so much more. Not being involved in his baby girls life until she was five years old broke his heart and he knew it hurt Scarlett too that he had missed her growing up. From the second he knew he had a daughter, before he even knew her name, he loved her unconditionally, with all his heart and to know that Scarlett loved him too made his heart explode.

"Love you too." He blinked away his tears and pressed another kiss to her head as he watched her drift to sleep on his chest with her head tucked under his chin.

After around ten minutes Caleb saw the door to Scarlett's room open and Hanna poked her head around it. A smile spread across her face as she tip-toed over to the bed and sat down. "How long has she been asleep?" Hanna asked stroking some of Scarlett's blonde hair back.

"A while now," He replied gently sitting forward and scooping her body from his chest. He stood up and waited for Hanna to pull back the duvet so he could lie Scarlett down. When she was all tucked up and cosy they turned off the light and headed out if the room.

"You ready to go?" Caleb asked, taking her hand as they made their way down the stairs.

"Yep, I'll just get my bag." He watched as she carried on into the living room dressed in simple black skinny jeans and booties with her winter coat. "We're going now," She called to her mom. "Don't wait up."

"Okay, have fun." Ashley called back as she settled into a night in front of the tv.

Hanna reappeared and took his hand as they left the house. "So, where are you taking me?"

"It's up to you," Caleb shrugged. "We can go to the Grille or there's that new restaurant in Philly?"

Hanna sighed, a little annoyed that he hadn't planned anything until an idea popped into her head and she pulled him past his car. "I know what we can do." She grinned as they started walking into town.

"What?" Caleb asked as their fingers once again linked and she cuddled into his body to keep warm in the bitter breeze.

She looked up at him and smirked. "It's a surprise."

* * *

"This is what you want to do instead of going to a restaurant?" Caleb raised his eyebrows. "Sit on a curb with beers like we're seventeen again?"

Hanna nodded and took a swig from the beer they had bought on the way. "This is our curb." She told him encouraging him to sit down next to her. "We came here when we were younger, please tell me you remember?" Caleb didn't reply as he sat down next to her and pulled out his own beer. Hanna rolled her eyes, "We came after we went to Spencer's lake house and you-know'd on her Grandma's couch." Caleb laughed at her choice of words but she carried on. "And we talked about my dad and your family, how did you not remember?"

He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her into his chest just like he had done all them years ago. "Of course I remember."

Hanna smiled as she looked over to Lucky Leon's that was starting to close up as the final customers came in. She remembered how she had watched the families outside, knowing she could never have that with her parents and knowing that Caleb would never have that either. As she remembered the little children that sat outside as thought about their own daughter. "That's us," She whispered, staring ahead of her.

"What's us, Han?" Caleb asked confused looking ahead at the almost empty shop.

"Me, you and Scarlett are that family that sat outside eating cakes and ice cream, that's us now."

Caleb looked down at the beer in her hand. "How much have you had to drink?" He chuckled. "Theres no one sat outside."

"Not now," She rolled her eyes. "When we sat here when we were younger and there was a family sat right there." She pointed ahead as she took another swig of beer.

Caleb did the same and pulled her back against his chest. "I have no idea what your on about." He murmured.

She sat forward so she could look him in the eye. "Growing up both of us didn't have perfect families, you more than me." He looked down slightly and she cupped his cheek bringing his head back up. "I can't really complain about my dad with what you went through in foster care, but what I mean..." She trailed off and could feel the alcohol starting to go to her head. She closed her eyes thinking of what she wanted to say. "What I mean is everything with Scarlett is far from perfect and I wish so bad that you would have been there from the second I found out I was pregnant but, what I mean is at least we both have the family we always wanted."

Caleb smiled at her tipsiness and pressed a kiss to her lips before he wrapped his arms around her shoulder and looked down noticing her change in mood. "What's wrong?"

She sighed and fixed her gaze ahead of her as her eyes welled with tears. "I remember the day I found out Scar was a girl. I was so happy and on the way home from the scan all I could think about was what I would call her and how I would decorate the nursery and all the cute clothes I could buy," She started, holding back tears as she thought about it. "And it was only when I was home everything hit me and I realised that you were going to miss everything and I just cried and cried."

Caleb swallowed a lump in his throat as he tried to control his emotions and Hanna carried on. "I cried for days and every time I closed my eyes all I could see was you holding our baby girl and I knew you'd be an amazing father." Her voice broke and she looked down as tears slipped down her cheeks.

Caleb pressed his lips to her forehead. "Don't cry," He whispered.

She sniffled and looked up at him, the alcohol making them both even more emotional than normal. "I just hate that you missed so much."

"Me too." He closed his eyes and pressed another kiss to her head before he placed his hand on her cheek and made her look at him. "No more tears though," He whispered wiping her cheek dry with his thumb. "There's been enough."

She nodded her head and moved to cuddle into his neck. "No more tears." She repeated.

Caleb lay his head on top of hers and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "And like you said, we're a family now."

Hanna smiled at those four words and sat up. Caleb cupped her cheek again and pulled her lips to his. His tongue slipped between her lips and met her own. They battled for some time with Hanna's hand pulling at his jacket, trying to get as close to him as possible. He pulled away after a while and smirked at her. "What's was that for?" She asked, looking around to make sure no one had seen their public make out session. Thankfully the street was dead.

"Promised Scar I'd kiss you." He shrugged, pecking her lips one more time before he stood up.

"Where are you going?" Hanna asked, picking up her beer again.

"Getting Scar some cupcakes," He replied. "She'll kill us if she finds out we came here without her and didn't get her anything." He started across the road. "I'll be right back."

* * *

"Shhh," Hanna whispered as she dragged Caleb through the front door of her Mothers dark house and pushed him back against it, both of them drunk and lucky Scarlett and Ashley were fast asleep.

Her lips pushed against his as her bag dropped from her hand and so did the box of cupcakes. Caleb slipped his tongue between her lips in sloppy, drunk kisses and his hands roamed her back and cupped her ass as their lips melted together. Hanna pulled away, "We should..." She trailed off as Caleb's lips ghosted over her neck and began sucking on her pulse. "We..." Her eyes slammed shut as his hot mouth did amazing things to her neck.

He started trailing his lips up to her jaw line and she pulled back, wrapping her arms around his neck. "We should go upstairs."

He nodded and all of a sudden his hands were under her butt and her legs were around his waist as he stumbled up the stairs. It felt like they were teenagers again, sneaking around the house, ready to spend the night doing anything but sleeping.

* * *

 **Hope you liked Xxx**


	29. Chapter 29

**Thank you for all your reviews last chapter xx This is the second to last so enjoy..**

* * *

Chapter Twenty Nine

Hanna huffed as she watched the teenager behind the till thumble around with the change in his hand. "You'll have to wait a minute for your coffee," He stuttered. "The machine just got refilled."

She flashed him a small smile and stepped to the side to let the person behind her order. Checking the time on her phone she looked around The Brew and stopped her eyes on the back of Caleb's head. He was sat on a chair facing away from her with his phone pressed to her ear and she could tell he was in deep conversation.

He had rushed off to the side when his phone rang mumbling something about a job interview and leaving her waiting in the queue for her coffee- which she hoped wouldn't take much longer as they had to pick Scarlett up from school soon.

She turned back to the till to see an older, more experienced looking woman hand her the coffee. She took it smiling at the woman and made her way over to Caleb. She stopped behind him however, when she heard wha he was saying. "Thanks Ashley," He spoke. "And don't say anything to Han."

Hanna's eyebrows furrowed even more as she heard what he was saying. It didn't sound like anything to do with a job interview unless her mom was giving Caleb a job at the Radley, but she didn't get why they would keep that a secret.

Caleb ended the call so she stepped around and made her presence known. "Oh, hey." He grinned, clearly unaware she had heard the backend of his conversation. "Are you ready to go get Scar?"

She nodded as he stood up. "Who was on the phone?" She asked.

"Oh, it was just about a job interview." He shrugged, reaching for her hand to take as they started walking to his car.

Hanna nodded and wondered why he was lying and what he was keeping as surprise from her. He knew she hated surprises, nearly as much as he hated them. Although, she thought back to the last time he did something like this when they were teenagers and he disappeared off to New York returning with a job and enough money to pay for her to go to collage. That had been a good surprise and it eased her mind slightly.

"What are we doing later?" Caleb asked, breaking her thoughts as they reached his car and he made his way around to the other side.

Hanna hopping in the passenger side and set her coffee in the cup holder. "You didn't want anything did you?" She asked suddenly remembering she hadn't asked him when she went to order. He shook his head and started the ignition, waiting for her answer. "I was thinking," She began and he knew instantly by her tone that he wasn't going to like it. "Scar keeps pestering me about going shopping and Toby and Yvonne's engagement party is next week and she doesn't have anything to wear to it."

Caleb looked over at her puppy eyes and rolled his own. "You want to go to the Mall?" He asked, already knowing the answer. Why did his child have to be so much like her mother and have an obsession with clothes? Hanna nodded knowing there was no way he'd be able to say no to her and Scarlett. "Fine," He mumbled. "We might as well get something to eat there too."

She grinned and leant over to press a kiss to his cheek as he carried on driving. "You must really love us." She knew he hated the Mall and he knew she knew he hated the Mall.

"Anything for my girls." He muttered flashing her a quick smile.

* * *

"Do you need any help?" Hanna called through the closed curtain of the child's changing room that Scarlett was behind.

"I can do it by myself." She growled causing Hanna to roll her eyes and move over to Caleb who was sat on the armchair, patiently waiting.

"She won't let me help her." Hanna muttered as she sat herself on his knee and let him wrap his arms around her, his hand resting on her butt as she draped one arm around his shoulders.

"She's trying to be independent." Caleb grinned, nuzzling her cheek.

"I know," Hanna mumbled. "But that dress costs ninety-five dollars, she better not rip it."

Caleb's eyes widened at the price. That's was another thing his daughter inherited from her mother; expensive taste.

Before they could say anything else the curtain opened and Scarlett walked out dressed in a pale pink dress with a red rose print and a red bow at the front. "Does it look nice?"

Caleb pursed his lips as he looked at his daughter. In that moment as Scarlett looked up at him with a excited grin on her face and dressed in something new she looked so much like Hanna. Her golden hair glistened and her dimples lit up her cheeks. "You look beautiful."

Hanna sat there with a proud pout in her face, approving of her little girls taste in clothes. "Gorgeous, baby." She grinned.

Scarlett giggled at them and came closer so one hand was leaning on Hanna's knee and one on Caleb's. "Can I have it please?" She asked. "For Toby's party."

"Of course you can." Caleb didn't hesitate to answer, watching as her face lit up again and she twirled around before she was running back into the changing room.

"You spoil her." Hanna told him, laughing at how easily he gave in to Scarlett. "She's got you wrapped around her little finger."

"Like you could have said no when she had that smile on her face." He defended himself, patting her butt and encouraging her up. "Im hungry, can we go for food now?"

"We'll get the dress and find somewhere to eat." She nodded standing up and stepping towards the changing room. "What do you fancy?"

Caleb's arms found their way back around her waist as his stomach rumbled. "Pizza." He replied simply.

"Me too," She mumbled as they waited for Scarlett. When she was changed back into her normal clothes and they paid for the dress they made their way to a restaurant.

Hanna and Scarlett both took seats opposite each other at the table as Caleb grabbed the menu's from the side. He pulled out the seat next to Hanna but Scarlett stopped him. "Don't sit next to mommy, sit next to me." She instructed, patting the chair next to her.

He looked between the two blondes trying to decided where to sit before he made up his mind and stepped over to Scarlett's side. She stuck her tongue out at Hanna and blew a raspberry until she felt Caleb's arms around her waist and he lifted her up. He sat her back down on the seat next to Hanna before returning to the other side. "Now I can see both your pretty faces."

Hanna laughed at him and shook her head slightly as she handed Scarlett the child's menu. "Your so cheesy."

He grinned at them both me looked down at his menu. "I want a pepperoni pizza." Scarlett announced before Hanna even had the chance to read her the menu.

"Okay," Hanna set her own menu down. "Why don't we all get a pizza to share?"

"I only like pepperoni." Scarlett repeated.

"We can share a big pepperoni pizza then." Caleb grinned setting the menu down and calling over a waiter.

Once they had ordered and their drinks arrived Scarlett moved herself to Hanna's knee. "Why is Toby having a party?" She asked.

"Because he asked Yvonne to marry him so they're having an engagement party to tell people about it." Hanna explained.

"Are they having a wedding too?"

"Yep," Hanna replied, stroking some of Scarlett's hair out of her face. "But it won't be for a while because they have to plan it first."

"Will I be a bridesmaid because I was going to be one when you married Jordan but now your not." Scarlett mumbled, sticking her bottom lip out slightly.

"I don't know baby." Hanna ran her hand down Scarlett's upper arm. "But it's a good thing I didn't marry Jordan because we have Caleb back now." She looked across at him and grinned.

Scarlett's lip immediately went back to normal and she sat up, wriggling off Hanna's knee to run over to Caleb and sit on his. "And he's my daddy." She added as he scooped her up.

"Why don't I talk to Toby and see if you can be a bridesmaid or something?" Caleb suggested.

"Yeah!" Scarlett cheered reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck and hug him tightly. Then she settled back on his knee again as they waited for the pizza.

Hanna watched them talking as she thought back to Jordan's proposal and how it could have been Caleb instead. They hadn't talked about the ring since she had asked him about it the night they got back together and honestly she had forgotten it existed. She wondered where it was and if he had forgotten about it too and then she remembered his conversation with her mother. Why hadn't he told her he was speaking to her mom and what wasn't she allowed to know? He did really have a reason to talk to her mom without her knowing unless he was-

"Mommy," Scarlett broke her train of thought. "What are you wearing to the party?"

"I don't know," She shrugged, her mind stopped thinking about the possibilities and concentrated on her daughter.

"You should buy a new dress." Scarlett suggested.

"You should." Caleb agreed with a smirk. "I'll buy it for you."

"No, you don't need to." She shook her head. He was supposed to be saving money, they both were.

"I do, you don't have a job so I will treat you to a fancy new dress." He grinned, watching as she tried with all her might to decline but being Hanna Marin meant that was very hard.

"Fine." She gave in with a small smile in her face. "If you insist."

* * *

"How's it look?" Caleb asked as he pushed aside the curtain if the changing room to find Hanna stood in just her bra and panties.

She bit her lip and looked over to the pile of black material on the floor that Caleb had picked out. "Honestly?" She asked and he already knew what she was going to say. "It's one of the most hideous dresses I have ever seen."

Caleb's face fell. He hadn't been expecting it to be that bad. Hanna immediately felt bad and stepped closer to him, looping her arms around his waist. "That bad?" He chuckled.

She nodded and let out a small smile as she pressed a kiss to his nose. "It makes me look like a stripper."

Caleb let out another laugh and wrapped his arms around her back. "Maybe that's why I chose it?" He smirked.

Hanna shook her head before she leant up to kiss him again. "You look better like this anyway," Caleb smirked looking down at her black lacey bra. He pulled her closer and joined their lips in hot, opened mouth kisses. He couldn't get enough of her kisses.

They only pulled away when Hanna felt someone tapping her stomach. "Mommy," Scarlett spoke, breaking her parents apart and wedging herself between them. "I'm bored."

Hanna wiped her lips and smiled down at her daughter. "Why don't you help Caleb pick out another dress, because he's not very good at it."

Scarlett grinned and grabbed his hand. "Come on." She lead him out of the changing room and back to the racks of dresses that to him all looked the same.

"What about this one?" He asked, letting go of her hand and pointing to a blue dress.

"That's yucky." Scarlett told him with a cheeky grin on her face. "Mommy won't wear that."

He stuck his tongue out at her with a smile on his face as he watched her erupt into giggles. "You pick one then."

She started looking through the racks of clothes again until something caught the five year olds eyes and she disappeared around a corner. Caleb followed her quickly and found her on her tiptoes trying to pull a red dress off the hook. He pulled it down for her and held it up, "You think mommy will like this?"

"Yep." She smiled smugly and started running back to the changing rooms. Caleb followed her and handed Hanna the dress before he turned around and spotted Scarlett sat on a chair, waiting. "Come sit down Daddy." She called.

Caleb took one step and then froze as her words sank in. She called him Daddy. His daughter just called him Daddy. He wanted to run over to her and throw her into the air with excitement, but decided not to when he looked up and saw her messing with the zip on her coat, clearly unaware of the effect of her words. They must have slipped out so easily for her so he didn't want to make a big fuss incase she didn't do it again.

Instead he casually walked over and lifted her up so he could sit on the chair and the placed her back in his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck, smiling and knelt on his thighs so they were face to face. He gripped her tiny waist as one of her hands moved from around his neck to poke his chin and her smile turned into a giggle as she squeezed his clef chin together. "What's so funny?" Caleb asked again.

"You've got a bum chin." She threw her head back with laughter.

Caleb laughed too and brought his hand up to the chin she had inherited from him. "So do you." He poked it gently and then tucked a piece of stray hair behind her ear.

A smile still graced her lips as she reached up again and ran her hands along his cheek. "Your cheek is hairy."

"I need a shave." Caleb replied, rubbing his rough cheek against her smooth hand.

Scarlett shook her head and laughed. "I think you should have a long beard, like Santa."

"No way."

"Yes way." She giggled sticking her tongue out and and blowing a raspberry in his face. Her hands went back up to his cheeks and then to his lips. She squeezed them together so he was making a pouty face. "I'm gonna give you a kiss." She told him with her fingers still around his lips. "Coz' Daddies should kiss their babies and I'm your baby."

"Okay," Caleb mumbled through closed lips and watched as she pouted her own and leant down to give him a kiss.

Her wet sloppy lips pressed against his and she shrieked with laughter. "Again!"

Caleb beamed as she released his lips from her fingers and kissed him again. He pulled back and placed a final kiss on her head before the curtain in front of them was pulled back and Hanna stepped out.

Caleb's breath caught in his throat as he looked her up and down, taking in the red dress Scarlett had picked out. It had a low V- neckline that showed more than enough cleavage and two cut outs on the ribs. "You like?" Hanna asked.

Caleb nodded and stood up, moving Scarlett to his hip as he stepped closer to Hanna. "Wow." Was all he could get out. She looked so beautiful and sexy all at the same time.

"It's pretty Mommy." Scarlett said as she wriggled out of her fathers arms.

"I'm hoping that was a good Wow." Hanna smirked, wrapping her arms around Caleb's neck and pulling him closer.

"That was a very good Wow." He whispered against her lips. She inched forward to join them in a kiss but he held back. "You look amazing. I'm buying it for you."

Hanna looked down at his lips and then back into his eyes. "You don't have to, it's like two hundred dollars."

"Hanna, there is no way I am not buying you this dress." He pushed his lips against hers before she had the chance to argue. The dress was as much a present for himself as it was for her.

A familiar giggle broke them apart and they looked down to find Scarlett laughing at their feet. "You kiss too loud." She told them.

Caleb pulled away and released his grip on Hanna. "Are we done shopping now?" He asked with a small groan.

"Actually, there's one more shop I want to visit." Hanna smirked as she made her way back into the changing room. "And I think you'll like it."

He started to follow her when he felt Scarlett grab his coat. "Come on Daddy." She tugged a few times before running back to the chair.

"Did she just-?" Hanna didn't need to finish her sentence before Caleb was nodding and grinning widely. He pressed one final kiss to her lips before following Scarlett.

* * *

Hanna shook her head, watching Caleb's lips battling a smirk as she lead him through the entrance of Victoria Secrets. "I won't be long."

"Take as long as you like." Caleb finally gave up holding in his smirk. "And remember I'm buying."

"Well, in that case," She let go of his hand and disappeared into the shop. She found herself wondering in the fragrance section before her attention was turned to the underwear at the back of the shop.

A few minutes later she was looking for some panties to match the black and white lace bra in her hand when she heard her daughters giggle. She turned around to see Scarlet walking towards her with Caleb stood behind, his hands covering the five year olds eyes.

"Stop Daddy," She giggled as she tried and failed to pull his hands away. "I can't see."

"What are you doing?" Hanna laughed as she moved closer to them.

"She's only five," Caleb defended, shrugging with his hands still covering Scarlett view. "She shouldn't be exposed to this stuff until she's thirty."

"I know what a bra is." She giggled. "You put it on your boobies."

"You don't have any boobies yet." Hanna laughed as she encouraged Caleb's hands away from their daughters face.

"Is that all your buying?" Caleb asked looking down at the bra in her hand.

"Help me pick some more stuff out?" She offered, biting her lip.

Caleb's face lit up as he snaked an arm around her waist and grabbed her butt. "Are you gonna model them all for me?"

She leant forward and kissed the shell of his ear. "Later." She whispered.

He patted her butt one last time before he turned his attention to what would look the best on Hanna. "What about this?" He smirked, flinging a black string thong in her face.

She rolled her eyes at him and grabbed it out of his hand about to say something when Scarlett caught her eyes. "Ohmygod."

"Look at me!" Scarlett called as Caleb spun around too to see his sweet, innocent daughter with a pair of hot pink panties on her head.

"And that," Caleb laughed, stepping forward to pluck them off her little blonde head. "Is why you don't let a five year old wonder round Victoria Secrets."

Hanna couldn't hold back a laugh as she shook her head and laughed at her daughter.

* * *

 **Tell me if you'd like a preview. Xxx**


	30. Chapter 30

**The last chapter, enjoy...**

 **Haleb lover- Haleb Baby 3, well like I said a while ago I had an idea for it but right now I'm really busy with collage so bare with me.**

 **Halebislife- no sequel but there will be an epilogue up soon.**

* * *

Chapter Thirty

"Hi guys, thanks for coming." Yvonne smiled as she welcomed Hanna, Caleb and Scarlett at the entrance of The Radley Hotel.

"Congratulations," Hanna grinned as she looked down at the diamond engagement ring on Yvonne's finger.

"Thank you." She lifted her hand up to show it off. "Toby's inside talking to some of his family, come on." She lead them inside the hotel.

Hanna took Caleb's hand as they followed Yvonne and Scarlett skipped happily in front of them as they entered the lively party. She glanced over to the crowded bar as Toby approached them. "Hey," His arm immediately wrapped around Yvonne's waist. "Thanks for coming."

"Hi Toby!" Scarlett giggled, looking up at him as she stood in front of her parents.

"Hey you." He smiled back. "I like your dress."

"I picked it out myself." She told him proudly as her hands fiddled with the red bow on the front.

"It's very pretty." Yvonne smiled as she subtly nudged Toby's side. He furrowed his eyebrows for a few seconds before he caught on and looked back at his God-daughter.

"Can we talk to you for a minute Scar? There's something me and Yvonne want to ask you." Caleb watched as she nodded her head and took Toby's hand as he lead her to the comfy seats.

Then he turned his attention to Hanna and bit his lip. "You look so good." Hanna didn't reply but leaned closer to him and placed her hand on his chest. "I'm serious," He looked down the neckline of her red dress. "This dress is so hot." His breath was warm against her cheek as his hands gripped her hips and he pushed her backwards against the wall of the hotel.

"You don't look too bad yourself." She hooked her arms around his neck as her back collided with the wall and she smoothed out the collar of the black shirt he was wearing. His lips hovered over hers and he looked up into her eyes and rubbed his thumbs over the skin peeping out of either side the the dress, sending a shiver down her spine.

Her hand ran around his neck and she forced his head down to kiss her. He didn't hesitate to push his tongue between her lips and explore her mouth whilst his hands ran around her waist to grab her ass.

Hanna pulled away for a quick breath before she was crashing their lips back together and tugging his hair harder. He squeezed her ass making her moan into his mouth before he pulled away and she trailed her hand down his chest. She looked around hoping no one had seen their highly inappropriate make out session before she looked back at him and bit her lip. "I'll get us something to drink." He smirked and before she knew it he had pulled away and was walking in the direction of the bar.

She stepped more into the centre to see if she knew anyone here until she spotted someone she knew extremely well standing behind the bar.

Her Mom was there talking to Caleb.

She could have sworn Ashley had told her she had the day off when they were getting ready earlier so was confused as to why she was now working the party. Then her mind flashed back to last week and the secret phone call she had exchanged with Caleb and now they were talking again, looking rather suspicious.

She was about to march over to them and question their secretive behaviour when someone stepped in front of her. "Lucas?" She looked at him, a little surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Hello to you too Hanna," He laughed taking a sip of his cocktail. "Toby invited me. I was in town sorting out business and ran into him." He explained. "I could ask you the same thing, aren't you still friends with Spencer?"

"I am." She nodded slowly. "She knows he's getting married, they're still friends and Toby's Scarlett's God-father and Caleb's best friend."

Lucas nodded and took another sip. "How are you and Caleb?" He asked with a small smile on his lips as he glanced down at her engagement-ring-free left hand that had been weighed down by a huge diamond last time they talked.

"We're good." She replied simply.

"I saw you two by the entrance," He raised his eyebrows and nodded over to the wall. "You seemed more than good."

Hanna blushed a little and bit her lip. "I didn't think anybody saw that." She laughed slightly.

"So your back together now?"

"Yeah," She couldn't help but grin. "We are."

He nodded and have her a huge smile. "You can tell, I mean apart from sucking each other's faces off in public," He laughed. "You have that sparkle back in your eyes that you used to get whenever you were with him. Last time I saw you at the Brew it wasn't there but now you've got it back."

Hanna blushed again slightly and glanced over at Caleb. He always made her feel more alive, more herself, ever since she had met him. She shot Lucas a warming smiled before straightening up. "Anyway, how are you doing?"

"Same old." He shrugged. "Work is hectic but you'll know about that."

"Actually, I don't." She mumbled as Lucas looked at her with a confused expression. "Anymore." She added. "I got fired from my job."

Hanna had been expecting him to roll his eyes and laugh along with her like they did when they were teenagers and she would skip class or fail a test, but he didn't. "Oh," Lucas furrowed his eyebrows as he slipped into silence and deep thought.

"How's your job going?" She asked trying to break the awkward silence that followed. "Still driving around in a Jaguar?"

"I'm looking at buying the empty factory near the lake." He stated, ignoring her Jaguar comment.

"Wow, what are you going to do with it?" She asked, he really had done well for himself if he could afford to buy and renovate that run down factory that had been their since she was a child.

"Anything I want to. What would you do with it?" He asked inquisitively.

"Indoor miniature golf?" She joked.

"No seriously, what would you do if someone said to you, you could start your own own business. What would you do?" He asked.

"Don't kid like that Lucas."

He looked at her and shook his head once. "Who's kidding?"

"Well," She started, understanding that he was serious. "I would set myself up with some new designers, start my own brand. You know, get out of the city away from all the distractions."

"Deal." Hanna had to look twice to see if he really was serious. "Research and development can mean whatever we say it means. Look this will be a good way for you to stay in Rosewood, near Caleb and your daughter but still have a successful career."

Hanna just stared at him in disbelief. "I can't take you up on this offer."

"Why not?" He asked not understanding her stubbornness. "Is there someone else you went to high school with that wants to offer you a million dollar line of credit? Come one Hanna, I've finally found a way to give you something no one else can."

Hanna just stared at him as she processed all the information coming out of his mouth. "Look, the offer still stands. Talk to Caleb and have a think about it and then let me know."

"I will." She nodded. "Come on I'll buy you another drink."

They reached the bar just as Caleb turned around with a cocktail and a beer in his hand. "Thanks babe," She smiled taking the cocktail from him. "Can you get Lucas a drink too?"

He nodded and moved over as a space at the bar cleared. Lucas stood beside him as they started talking and Hanna spotted her mother. "Mom," She called remembering what she was going to ask before she started talking to Lucas. "What are you doing here? I thought you had the day off?"

"Half the staff are off sick so here I am." She sighed and Hanna opened her mouth to ask about Caleb when a high pitch squeal came from around the corner.

"Mommy, Daddy guess what?!" Hanna watched as Scarlett came sprinting over and flung herself into Caleb's arms. He just about set his beer down in time to catch her and lift her into his hip.

"What?" Hanna asked stepping over to her and Caleb.

"Toby and Yvonne said I could be a flower girl at their wedding! I get to wear a pretty dress and have my hair done!" She grinned excitedly, making both her parents smile widely too.

Hanna looked over to Toby and Yvonne who had caught up with Scarlett. "Thank you." She whispered.

"Your welcome but we were going to ask before Caleb said anything anyway." Toby smiled back. He watched as Caleb sat Scarlett on the edge of the bar and wrapped his arms around her to keep her steady. They were talking and laughing like a father and daughter should do and he found it hard to believe that only a few months ago he was sat having a beer with Caleb and trying not to let it slip that Scarlett even existed.

They all gathered around the bar as Toby and Yvonne bought a round of drinks and Ashley started preparing them. "Here you go sweet pea." She handed Scarlett a glass of lemonade and watched as her little face light up.

Hanna moved next to Caleb and reached forward to help Scarlett with the glass. "Is it nice, baby?" She asked.

"It's fizzy!" She squealed beaming up at her mother.

"She is going to be so hyper later." Hanna sighed leaning her head on Caleb's shoulder. He wrapped his hand around the back and trailed it down to her ass as they watched Scarlett down the lemonade in one go.

"Here," Toby strolled over and handed Caleb and Hanna another drink each. "It's on us."

"So how are the wedding plans going?" Hanna asked as Yvonne stood beside Toby and linked their arms.

"Slowly," She rolled her eyes slightly before smiling. "But I'm so excited, I can't wait to be Mrs Cavanugh."

"I'm excited too." Scarlett announced from the side of the bar. "I want to wear a pretty dress."

Hanna laughed at her daughter and stroked some of her hair back. "I've already bought my dress." Yvonne told them. "Do you want to see?" She grinned as Scarlett nodded and pulled out her phone from her clutch bag.

Toby stepped away as the three girls engrossed them selves in dress talk and took a sip of his beer. "So how's everything going with Scarlett?" He asked Caleb, quietly.

As hard as she tried Caleb couldn't hold back the stupid grin that spread across his face. "Good," He replied. "Really good."

"How did you tell her?" Toby asked. "I wouldn't know what to say if I was in your shoes."

"I didn't," He replied honestly. "Han did most of the talking and I just sat there, waiting for her to burst into tears and tell me I was a terrible Dad."

Toby glanced back at Scarlett for a split second before smiling. "Which I'm guessing didn't happen?"

"No," Caleb smiled too. "She asked a few questions and then everything was great." Again he was smiling like an idiot, thinking about how tight Scarlett had hugged him that day. "I think she's still a bit confused about everything and I know she'll want to know more as she gets older and we'll tell her."

Toby nodded in understanding before taking a sip of his beer. "You've both changed since last time I saw you- in a good way." He added. "I don't really know how but you both seem different, more happier and you've stopped smoking." He muttered the last part looking up to see Calebs confused expression. "Hanna's Mom told me." He added.

Caleb rolled his eyes and shook his head before looking over to Ashley who was busy behind the bar. He cleared his throat before turning back to Toby. "I guess I should thank you," He started again. "Hanna told me how big a help you were when Scarlett was younger so thank you."

"You don't need to thank me, Caleb." He shook his head and could see in the shorter man's eyes how much it hurt that he hadn't been with his daughter in the first few years of her life. "I was just doing what any decent guy would. Besides, we've got to stick together you and me; we're the brotherhood of ex-boyfriends."

Caleb chuckled along with him as Scarlett skipped back over and held her arms out for him. "Guess what?" She giggled as he sat her on the side of the bar again and wrapped an arm around her protectively.

"What?"

She turned to Toby and stuck her tongue out at him teasingly. "I've seen Y-vonne's dress," She told them, struggling on Yvonne's name. "But your not allowed too 'coz it's only for girls to see."

"I guess I'll just have to wait then." Toby laughed back as he watched his fiance and Hanna approach them again.

Ashley handed Scarlett another lemonade with a grin as the five-year-old took an excited sip before she let out a gasp and brought a hand up to cover her mouth, gaining everyone's attention. "I forgot,"

"Forgot what?" Ashley asked.

"I forgot to tell Toby and Y-vonne,"

"Tell us what?" Toby asked curiously.

"I'm a River now." She boasted, leaving Toby ans Yvonne confused until Hanna chuckled and tucked a piece of her curly blonde hair behind her ear.

"Rivers." She corrected, stroking her cheek.

Scarlett let out an embarrassed giggle. "I'm a Rivers 'coz Caleb's my Daddy!" She squealed exitedly. "And I love him lots." Her arms were around Caleb's neck as she clung to his body in a tight hug. He held her just as tightly and ignored everyone's coos over Scarlett's adorable outburst, concentrating on his baby girl.

"Love you too." He whispered quietly in her ear as he kissed her cheek. "Lots and lots."

* * *

"I was talking to Lucas earlier," Hanna started as her and Caleb stepped away from everyone else so she could talk to him without any more interruptions. "And he told me he was buying a run down factory and then I said I didn't have a job anymore and he offered it to me."

Caleb looked confused. "What would you do with a run down factory, Han?"

"He's going to renovate it and he offered me the chance to set up my own clothing line." She explained hesitantly.

A huge grin spread across Caleb face. "Your serious?" She nodded in response. "That's amazing babe."

"I know but I don't know if I'm going to take it." She shrugged.

"Why not? You have to take it Han, it's all you've ever wanted." His hands moved to her cheeks as he made her look at him, knowing what she was thinking. "And don't even start to say that New York will repeats itself."

"But what if it does? We've got Scarlett now and-"

"Stop. You know how much Scar loves clothes like you, she'd be so happy if her Mommy was a fashion designer." He looked into her eyes and smiled. "There's no way I'm letting you turn this offer down, okay? Your taking it and your gonna be this amazing designer that wins loads of awards and me and Scar will be right by your side."

"I'll speak to Lucas later then." She grinned and wrapped her arm around his waist. He was always so supportive of her career and that's one of the reasons why she loved him. She looked around the hall until she spotted Scarlett. "Look at her," She smiled glancing over at the bar where Scarlett was sat helping Ashley take people's drink orders.

Caleb wrapped his arms around her shoulders and smiled too. "Shouldn't she be tired, it's nearly ten."

"Not with the amount of sugar in her body." Hanna rolled her eyes slightly. "My mom finishes at ten anyway so she said she'll take Scar home so we can stay for longer."

He nodded in response and thats when Hanna snapped and remembered what she had been meaning to do all night. She stepped in front of him and crossed her arms over her chest. "Have you heard anything else from that job interview?" She asked sternly, leaving him no room to make up another excuse.

"Which one?" Caleb looked confused.

"That one that you used as a cover up for calling my Mom." She raised her eyebrow at him.

The confused look on Caleb's face dissolved into a small smile. He opened his mouth to speak but Hanna cut him off. "And I saw you talking to her earlier, so don't pretend like you wasn't."

"Let me explain Han,"

"Are you going to propose?" She asked, getting straight to the point.

"What?!"

"Are you going to propose? I've been thinking about it all week and that's the only reason that you'd be talking to my Mom without me and keeping it a secret." She looked up at him and bit her lip. "And you already have the ring."

He let out another smile and stepped forward taking her hands in his. "I wasn't planning to but if your that desperate to marry me..." He trailed off as she took a sigh of relief.

"No." She shook her head.

"Thanks." Caleb mumbled sarcastically.

"No I didn't mean it like that." She laughed. "I'm just relieved that your not going to ask me to marry you right now. Of course I want to marry you, I've wanted to marry you since I was sixteen."

"I know," He laughed. "Besides, I want you to have the wedding of your dreams and right now I can't give you that." He looked into her beautiful blue eyes and grinned. "When I get a new job and your some big fashion designer we can have the big, expensive wedding you've always wanted."

"Caleb I wouldn't care if I got married in a cow shed as long as I was marrying you."

He raised his eyebrows unconvinced. "Hanna Marin getting married in a cow shed- I can't see it." He laughed. "But seriously, after everything you've been through you deserve a fancy wedding and that's what you'll get." He pressed a kiss to her lips. "And that ring will stay safe in my sock draw until then."

She stood on her tip-toes and kissed him back. "Wait," She stopped. "Why were you being so secretive with my Mom then?"

"You've ruined your surprise," He rolled his eyes. "I needed her to get me yours and Scars passports."

"Why?"

"Because this summer I'm taking you both on a trip to Europe." He started. "We'll go to Paris to see the Eiffel Tower and Rome to see the Colosseums and London to see the queen."

Hanna could hold back a huge smile as she looked over her shoulder to where Scarlett was. "She's going to love it."

"I'm taking you everywhere we were supposed to go but it will be better because we'll have Scarlett with us." He leant his head against hers and pressed a kiss to her nose.

She pulled back and wrapped her arms around his neck so she could kiss him again. "I love you."

Caleb grinned and leant back into the kiss. "Love you too." She stepped to the side and leant her head back on his shoulder again as they stood back and watched their daughter giggling and chatting to people from where she was sat. She was such a ray of sunshine wherever she went and would light up her parents lives forever.

Caleb wrapped his hand around Hanna's waist loosely as he thought back to when they were younger, when it was only him and her.

For most of his life before he met Hanna he had been alone. Looking after himself and shutting everyone out when really all he needed was love. But then he met her and she loved him for exactly who he was and he loved her as she was too. She was perfect in his eyes.

She still was perfect. She loved him and Scarlett to the moon and back and would do anything for them, like he would do anything for his girls. They were his world and nothing could take them away from him. It had happened before and it was never going to happen again.

His dreams had come true and as Hanna stood in his arms he had all he ever wanted. A beautiful little family with his first and only love.

He felt Hanna move in his arms and looked down to find her glancing up at him. "What are you thinking about?" She asked.

"Us."

"What about us?" She asked with a small grin on her face.

"If someone had told me a year ago that I'd be stood here with you in my arms and our daughter over there I would have laughed in their face." He chuckled, reaching forward and tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear. "I just can't believe that a year ago I was at my Moms trying- and failing to forget that you ever existed and now we're here."

Hanna grinned and pursed her lips. "I think it's fate." She told him, looking up at him trough her thick eyelashes and placing her hand on his chest. "People who are meant to be together, take a break and then find their way back to their first love." She leant forward to kiss him as she whispered, "What's more romantic than than that?"

* * *

 **So that's it and i just want to say thank you all so much for all of your support and every single one of your reviews, I love you all xxxxxxx**


	31. Chapter 31

**I'm getting really emotional posting this and I've put it off for a week because I dont want it to be over but at the same time I'm really excited for you to read it so here's the epilogue.**

 **And thank you all so much for all the reviews last chapter, they really touched my heart.**

 **Haleb Lover- I have decided to write a Haleb Baby 3 which I hope youll be happy to hear but dont expect it for a while as I havent written anything yet but hopefully it wont be too long xx**

 **I really hope you all enjoy...**

* * *

Epilogue 

"Alright Mrs Rivers, your about six centimetres dilated so Baby won't be too long now." The nurse smiled as she pulled off her plastic gloves and finished the examination.

"Can I get the epidural now?" Hanna breathed, reaching for Caleb's hand as another contraction hit.

Caleb look down at his wife as she gripped his hand and squeezed it as tight as she could. He had never seen her in such discomfort and pain before and it scared him.

"Of course you can, I'll get the other nurse to prepare it for you. She won't be long." The nurse replied before stepping out of the room.

"Are you okay?" Caleb asked once Hanna's contraction passed. He wanted to help her as much as possible but he didn't really know much about childbirth and it wasn't like he could take over so settled for letting her squeeze the living daylight of his hands.

"Yeah, all this will be worth it in a few hours." She gave him a weak smile as he leant down to tuck some of her hair behind her ear.

Another, much younger nurse came in, wheeling a cart full of equipment. "Hi Hanna, I'm Katie and I'm going to be delivering your little one today."

"Hi," Hanna smiled as Katie scanned over her notes and wheeled the cart up by her bed.

"And your the Daddy?" She looked over at Caleb who took a step back, still clinging onto Hanna's hand.

"Yeah," He smiled, nodding his head.

"Alrighty then, Maria told me your ready for your epidural now?" Katie asked.

"Definitely," Hanna sighed. "I forgot how painful this was."

"So this isn't your first baby?" Katie asked as she began preparing the equipment.

"No we have a daughter, Scarlett, she's eight now."

"Aww," Katie beamed. "I bet she's excited to meet her new baby brother or sister."

"She is." Hanna confirmed, smiling at the thought of Scarlett.

"Alrighty then, I'm going to need you to roll on to your side so I can put the needle into your back." Katie instructed.

With Caleb's help Hanna followed Katie's instructions, rolling over and squinting as she waited for the needle. She looked up to see Caleb's face turn a pale shade of green as he stared at the needle in the nurses hand before he looked back at her and forced an uneasy smile.

"All done," Katie announced, helping Hanna roll back on to her back. "It won't take too long to kick in now."

Caleb watched as she settled back down into the bed, still looking uncomfortable and in pain. "I thought the needle thing was supposed to stop the pain?" Caleb asked, nervously looking up at the nurse and running his free hand through his hair.

"It does but like a said it takes a few minutes to kick in." She gave him a warm smile sensing his nerves from the other side of the bed.

"Are you okay?" He asked Hanna, with furrowed eyebrows and a panicked expression.

"Caleb I'm fine, I've done this before remember." She rubbed her thumb over his hand as he swallowed and nodded reluctantly.

"Why don't you go down to the canteen and get a coffee and something to eat?" Katie suggested. "Baby won't be here for a while yet so you won't miss anything, I promise."

"I'm fine."

"Caleb go," Hanna insisted. "You haven't eaten anything since breakfast and your stressed. You need to relax a little."

"You sure?" She was right, he was nervous and tense and now she mentioned it he was starving.

Hanna nodded and smiled as he leant down to peck her lips before he ran a hand through his hair again and left the small room.

"Bless him," Katie chuckled. "He's more nervous than you and it's your second, I'd hate to see what he was like the first time."

The small smile on Hanna's face fell as she looked down. "This is his first time." She forced a smile as she watched Caleb leave.

"Oh sorry," Katie looked at Hanna in confusion. "I thought you said you had a daughter together?"

"We do," Hanna nodded. "But he wasn't around when Scarlett was born."

"What happened?" Katie asked. If she wasn't so bubbly and chatty Hanna would have told her to mind her own business but she seemed like a nice girl and she didn't want her to get the wrong impression of Caleb.

"We moved to New York straight out of high school but we ending up breaking up." Hanna looked down again and placed her hand on her bump as she thought about how far they had come since then. "It turned out I was pregnant when we split up but we didn't know and I couldn't contact him to tell him so he never knew about our daughter."

"Until?" Katie asked, waiting for Hanna to finish her story as she perched herself on the edge of the bed.

"Until Scarlett was five and he moved back here and connected with her and then we reconnected too." It was a lot more complicated than that but all the small details didn't matter anymore. All that was important was they were a family now. A real family.

"And here you are," Katie grinned. "With baby number two on the way and that gorgeous diamond in your finger." She pointed to Hanna's engagement ring and wedding band. "When did he propose?"

Hanna grinned as she looked down at her hand that was resting on her baby bump. "Caleb took me and Scarlett to Europe for the summer and on the last day there he proposed. We were the only ones on this tiny beach in Italy, it was dark and Scarlett was paddling in the sea and you could see all the stars. It was perfect."

She felt tears start to well in her eyes at the memory of one of the happiest days of her life. "And I bet you had a beautiful wedding." Katie smiled.

"We did." Hanna nodded as she smiled like an idiot at the memory of her wedding day. It was a few days before Christmas and they had rented a hotel in New York. She wore a beautiful white gown and Scarlett was there in her pale pink bridesmaid dress as she lead her Mommy up the aisle to marry her Daddy; it was the wedding of her dreams that Caleb had always promised her.

"You make an adorable couple." Katie grinned, standing up and checking the monitors Hanna was connected too. "You should try and get some rest now, I'll be back in a while to check how everything's going."

Hanna smiled at her as Katie wheeled the cart back out and leant back against the pillows. Both her hands came to rest on her bump and she rubbed it softly as an excited smile graced her face as she thought about the tiny baby that would soon be here.

* * *

Caleb gripped Hanna's hand tighter as he watched her use the last of her energy on one final push. His hand ached but it was the most he could offer as he stood by her side and kissed her forehead.

Hanna let out a deep sigh of relief as she felt the baby leave her body and a loud cry filled the delivery room. "It's a girl." Katie announced, holding up the baby for Hanna and Caleb to see.

"Another girl." She whispered, collapsing back into the pillows and grinning up at Caleb. He leant down and pressed a kiss to her sweaty forehead and then her lips before looking back at their daughter.

"Would you like to cut the cord?" Katie asked, holding up a pair of scissors. He took them with a shaky hand and cut the cord, watching as Katie quickly whisked the baby girl away to clean her up.

After Hanna was cleaned up too, Katie brought the baby girl over wrapped up in a soft pink blanket with a hat on her tiny head. She lay her in her mothers arms and followed the other nurses out, leaving Hanna and Caleb alone with their new daughter.

"Hello beautiful," Hanna cooed down at the baby as her quiet whining came to a stop and she opened her big chocolate eyes. Hanna lifted the hat up to peak under and saw a few whisps of thin blonde hair. "She looks just like Scarlett." She grinned looking up at Caleb before leaning down to press a gentle kiss to the baby girls nose.

Caleb beamed as he stared down at his perfect daughter and carefully took her tiny foot in his hand. "She's so small."

"She is." Hanna agreed, watching as their baby looked up at her parents and took in all her surroundings. Her eyes lingered in Caleb's face for a few seconds and Hanna wondered if she recognised his voice from when he would talk to her bump. "That's your Daddy." She whispered, stroking her soft cheek.

The baby blinked and Hanna looked up at Caleb, grinning. "Do you want to hold her?"

He nodded slowly and swallowed as Hanna carefully passed the baby girl to him. "Here," She instructed, moving his arm so he would be more comfortable. She knew this was his first time holding a newborn baby and could feel how nervous he was.

He dragged the chair closer to Hanna's bed by his foot and sat down. "Your so good at this." He looked up to Hanna.

"What?" She asked, watching as the baby girls blinked up at her father.

"Your such an amazing Mom," He grinned. "To Scar and this little one. They're so lucky to have you."

"They're lucky to have you too," She placed her hand on his knee, knowing how worried he was about today. "Your the best Daddy, Caleb. Scarlett adores you and look," She nodded to the baby's tiny fingers which were wrapped around Caleb's large one. "She loves you too."

He looked down at his baby girl as her little chest rose with every tiny breath she took. His hand ran soft patterns on her onesie clad belly as he leant down to kiss her cheek and then her forehead.

* * *

Caleb turned the corner of the busy hospital and his face lit up when he saw who was walking down the corridor to meet him.

"Daddeee!" Scarlett squealed as she let go of Ashley's hand and sprinted up the corridor in her pink ballet tutu before she launched her self into her fathers arms.

"Hi princess," He grinned, as her hands clamped on to his shoulders and he lifted her above his head and pressed their noses together, looking up at the excited grin she had plastered to her face. "How was your ballet class?"

"It was good, Grandma Ash said I was the best dancer there." She boasted as Caleb moved her to his hip.

"I bet you were." He smiled, watching as Ashley came up to them with her hands full with flowers and a huge pink 'it's a girl' balloon.

"Congratulations!" She smiled wrapping her arms around him the best she could and pressing a kiss to his cheek. "How are they?"

"They're doing good." He grinned at the thought of Hanna and their new born daughter. "Let me help you."

He held his hand out to help carry something but she flapped it away. "No, you go ahead."

"Here," He chuckled at her defiance and took the balloon from her, handing it to Scarlett who was bouncing with excitement. "Give this to Mommy when we go in."

"Okay Daddy." She mumbled taking the string from him.

"Are you ready to meet your baby sister?" Caleb asked, leading them through the hospital to Hanna's room.

"Yeah!" Scarlett squealed. "I'm gonna dress her up as a princess and do her hair all pretty."

"You might have to wait till she's a bit older to go that." Ashley chuckled. "She's not even a day old yet."

"You have to be really quiet because your sister will be sleeping." Caleb told Scarlett as they reached the door to Hanna's room. She nodded obediently as he carried her in but he could tell she was about to burst with excitement.

"Mommy!" She exclaimed but quickly brought her hand to her mouth when she remembered what Caleb had told her about being quiet.

"Hi baby," Hanna whispered from where she was sat in the bed with the baby girl asleep in her arms.

Caleb carried Scarlett over and set her on the edge of the bed. "This is your baby sister." Hanna smiled leaning closer so Scarlett could see the baby.

"Oh, she's beautiful." Ashley exclaimed as she came around to the other side of the bed having put down all the flowers.

"What's her name?" Scarlett asked reaching out to gently touch the baby's hand.

"Ruby Emilia." Hanna whispered looking down at Baby Ruby.

"Ruby Rivers," Ashley grinned. "It has a nice ring to it and it's a shade of red like Scarlett."

"That why we picked it." Hanna smiled looking over at Caleb.

"Can I have a hold?" Ashley asked, reaching forward for her youngest granddaughter. Hanna passed Ruby over and pulled Scarlett into her side for a cuddle as Caleb sat back in the chair by the bed.

"Aren't you gorgeous," Ashley cooed as she bounced a sleeping Ruby. "Just like your big sister." She glanced up at Scarlett who was enjoying some cuddles with her Mommy, having not seen her since the early morning.

"Your tummy isn't fat anymore." Scarlett pointed to Hanna's mid section that was still slightly swollen.

"That's because there's no baby in there anymore." She laughed tiredly and tucked some of Scarlett's blonde curls behind her ear.

"We brought you a balloon." She announced, pointing to the balloon that had been forgotten the second she saw the baby.

"And flowers." Ashley chipped in, carrying the baby over to Caleb so she could show Hanna the pink roses she had bought. He took Ruby in his arms rubbed her onesie clad belly again as he sat back down.

"Thank you." Hanna smiled down at Scarlett. "Did you help grandma pick them out?"

"I did." She nodded, snuggling into her mother side more.

"Have you called your mom yet Caleb?" Ashley asked, knowing Claudia was just as excited as she was about their new grandchild as she was.

"Yeah, she's already booked her flight to come and see us next week." He replied, holding back a laugh at how close Ashley and Claudia had become over the past few years.

"Is Grandpa Jamie coming too?" Scarlett asked.

"He's gonna come by tomorrow and visit."

"Will he bring Spot?" She asked. Jamie had recently adopted a puppy and Scarlett had grown quite attached.

"No princess," Caleb chuckled. "He can't bring him to the hospital."

Ashley let out a happy smile as she watched the baby sleep in Caleb's arms. "Are you going to have anymore?"

"Ruby's not even a day old and your asking if we're having more?" Hanna scoffed.

"You make such adorable children." Her Mother shrugged.

"We do," Hanna agreed looking down at her blonde beauty and then over to her little blonde cutie. "Maybe one more."

"It has to be a boy though." Caleb added. "I'm not having three daughters that are obsessed with clothes and shoes."

Ashley chuckled and looked around the room. He really was surrounded by all things pink and girly and was definitely outnumbered, now more than ever. "A grandson would be nice."

"Slow down," Hanna said, pushing a piece of her hair out of her face. "Like I said, Ruby's only a couple hours old, we have plenty of time." She wouldn't admit it but she loved the sound of a little boy that looked just like Caleb to complete their family. "And once you know what it's like to be covered in baby sick at three in the morning you might change your mind." She grinned, looking over to Caleb.

"It can't be that hard." He shrugged. He wouldn't mind having to wake up in the middle of the night if it meant he got to look at his baby girls beautiful face whilst she fed.

"Just wait." Hanna laughed.

"He's right Han," Ashely spoke, perching on the edge of the bed by Hanna's feet. "Now that there are two of you everything will be halved and it will seam a whole lot easier than it did with Scar."

If Ashley had have known how much that comment would effect everyone she would have kept her mouth shut.

Caleb looked up from Ruby's sleeping body to his eldest daughter who was looking at him with an expression that he hated.

It was a mix a jealousy, tears and confusion and it broke his heart. She was old enough now to understand more about why he had been absent in her life until she was five and she understood that Ruby would have him as her Daddy right from the start of her life.

Her beautiful brown eyes looked down at the baby in his arms before back to him. He knew she loved her little sister; she had been begging him and Hanna for a baby brother or sister since they got engaged and was so excited when they finally told her she was getting one. Even at Hanna's baby shower, she was the centre of attention as she told everyone how she was going to help her Mommy and Daddy look after the new baby and she had a look of sheer excitement written all over her features as she ran into his arms earlier, ready to meet her baby sister.

But now as she watched baby Ruby sleep in his arms he knew she understood that she would never have that with him and made his chest tighten and his heart break.

Caleb took a deep breath, not being able to stand that look on his eldest daughters face for any longer and stood up. He took the two steps to Hanna's bed where Scarlett was sat and gave her a warm smile. "Do you want to hold Ruby?"

She nodded sheepishly at him and held out her hands ready to take the baby.

"Here Scar," Hanna smiled, wrapping her arms around Scarlett's back to adjust her arms so she was supporting Ruby's head as Caleb lay the baby girl in her big sisters arms.

Once Scarlett had a firm grip on Ruby, Caleb stood back up and tucked a piece of her golden hair behind her ear. Then he pressed a kiss to her cheek and whispered. "Love you."

He knew that no matter how many times he told her them two words they still wouldn't be able to get back all the time they missed together, but he was doing everything in his power to make up for it.

He didn't have favourites with his two gorgeous children, they were both so precious to him and in a way the fact that he would have different relationships with them both was a good thing.

With Scarlett, the fact that he had only been around from when she was five had created a special bond between them that no one could break. They had to get to know each other and learn things about each other as they grew closer and it made all the time they did spend together more precious, like the last three years.

And with little Ruby he'd never forget what it felt like to feel her first kicks from inside Hanna or hear her first cries from just hours ago. He was going to be there for everything and watch her grow and grow into a beautiful woman.

He watched as Ruby's eyes slowly opened and she looked up at Scarlett. Her little legs kicked as she gurgled and cooed. "She's saying hello," Hana grinned as she watched the baby. "And telling you she loves you."

"I love her too." Scarlett giggled, a wide grin on her face as she looked between her Mother and Father.

Hanna gripped Caleb's hand and gave it a squeeze, bringing his attention to her. She had seen the look Scarlett had given him and she had seen how much it hurt him. It hurt her too.

Before they even conceived Ruby she knew that having another baby was going to be a bitter-sweet situation after everything that happened with Scarlett.

They couldn't change the past but they could make the future better and that's what they were doing.

They had a beautiful house just outside Rosewood with a huge garden. Caleb worked for a Tec company in the city and Hanna ran her own clothing line from the factory Lucas had renovated. And now they had two healthy, beautiful daughters who were their whole world and that was all she'd ever wanted out of life. To be happy.

"Come closer Caleb," Ashley called pulling her phone out of her bag. "I'll take a picture of you all together."

"Pass Ruby back to Mommy." Caleb told Scarlett as his hand ran over the baby's blonde whisps of hair.

Hanna carefully took Ruby back and settled her in her arms as Caleb lifted Scarlett up and sat on the edge of the bed with her on his knee.

He tickled her sides making her laugh and wriggle and grin up at him. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and stopped his tickling and ran his other arm along Ruby's tiny foot as she kicked her legs again.

He looked back at Hanna as they watched their babies interacting and leant back to kiss her on the lips. "I love you." He whispered against them.

"Love you too." She grinned and kissed back before Ashley interrupted.

"This is such a beautiful photo." She beamed looking up from the picture of her daughter and Son-in-law kissing as their daughters sat in their arms.

Caleb grinned as Ashley took some more photos and looked down at his three blondes.

They were his love, his family and his whole world.

Each one of them held a special place in his heart.

* * *

 **So... its over.** **It was kind of a bitter sweet chapter so tell me what you thought about little Ruby and Scar being a big sister and the proposal and wedding.**

 **I just want to say a huge thank you for all your support and reviews they mean so much to me and I'm so shocked at the amount of reviews this story has gotten but thats all down to you lovely people that I love you all with all of my heart xxx xxx xxx xxx**


	32. Bonus Chapter

**Surprise! When I finished this story in December I definitely wasn't expecting to be coming back to it but I had people asking about more and I didn't want to let go of the characters so I decided on one final chapter. It's set between chapters 30 and 31 and is 8000 words of pointless fluff but I'm excited to post and hopefully you'll enjoy one more chapter of little Scarlett.**

 **Also a big thank you to janethewriter1 maybe this stories biggest fan and definitely one of the reasons I wrote this extra chapter. Ly xxx**

* * *

Bonus Chapter

* * *

"Caleb," Hanna whimpered, throwing her head back as he rolled his hips and sent another wave of pleasure cruising through her body, her own hips trying to keep in rhythm with his as she straddled him, her knees squeezing his sides every time he entered her at a different angle.

He let out a loud grunt as she leant forward to join their lips and his hand trailed down her back, dipping beneath the crisp, white bedsheets as he grabbed her supple ass, making her moan into his mouth.

"Shhh," She managed to get out before her eyes slammed shut again, the pleasure building in the bottom of her stomach.

"We're fine," He breathed out, using the last of his energy to flip them over before he gripped her thighs as he started thrusting into her again.

She let out a smile, relaxing against the pillows as she came around him and enjoying the comfort of a bed again. For the past two weeks they had been staying in Hostels and Bed and Breakfast's as they made their way around Europe, but for London they decided to spring for a fancy hotel and she was definitely glad they did now as they made the most of their alone time in the king sized bed.

He let out a final groan as he followed her, finishing deep inside and pressing a gentle kiss to her mouth. A lazy grin spread across her lips as he collapsed on top of her and she wrapped her arms loosely around his neck, his hands still firmly gripping her thighs.

"I missed that," He grinned back at her as she ran her fingers through his short hair.

"Missed what?" She frowned slightly, in confusion.

"Your dimples when you smile like that." He murmured, pressing his lips to the hollow holes in her cheeks as he leant up on his forearm and pulled himself out of her, rolling onto his side.

"You've had them back for a while now." She gave him a soft smile as she curled into his body, stroking his cheek as he let out a deep sigh.

His arm wrapped around her back as they're feet tangled with the white sheets and he drew soft patterns on her bare skin with his thumb. He couldn't help it as his mind wandered back to a time when they weren't together, when they weren't a family. It felt like so long ago now, like they had always been this happy little family with Scarlett, but in reality all they had to do was jump back a few months and everything was different. Jump back a year, Hanna was still engaged, Caleb was still in California and Scarlett had no idea about her daddy.

"Shit," He muttered, his hand reaching up to rub his eyes as he let out a frustrated breath. "Fucksake."

Hanna let out a long breath too as she lay her head on his chest. She knew how angry he still was at the whole situation and how much regret he had; she had it too, but somehow she was managing to channel her regret into making things better for them now. "You didn't know Caleb." She pressed her lips to his bare shoulder, feeling his temper rising from underneath her.

"Exactly." He grumbled. "I went five years without knowing I had a daughter, five years of you struggling to bring her up on your own whilst trying to start your career."

"Stop." Hanna interrupted him, sitting up as her eyes welled with tears at all the memories that came flooding back. "I hate it okay? I fucking hate that it happened that way, that you missed out on so much and that I didn't get to see you with Scar when she was a little baby." She swallowed a lump in her throat. "But all that's in the past now and I just want to focus on us three together without thinking about all the bad things that happened, especially today."

"I know," He mumbled, reaching up to pull her back into his side. "I know baby." He closed his eyes as he held her tight against his body and breathed in her comforting scent.

"I love you and I love her," Hanna whispered against his shoulder as she squeezed his waist tight. "We're not going to loose each other again."

He nodded, knowing that today wasn't the day to start getting angry about the past. It was a new start for them all and there wasn't going to be a single tear from anyone. "I love you more." Caleb smiled, craning his head to peck her lips again as she cracked a small smile too.

"I'm glad we're doing this." She mused, tugging the white bedsheets up over their naked bodies as she felt a draft.

"Doing what?" He smirked, biting his lip.

"Doing the Europe trip again," She answered. "With Scarlett."

"You mean I'm doing it again," He teased. "You weren't here the first time."

She rolled her eyes at him before she sighed again, her lip tucked between her teeth. "What was it like?" She asked apprehensively, not sure if she wanted to know what Caleb had gotten up to when he was here the first time.

"I was a mess." He confessed. "The whole flight to Prague I went over everything in my head, thinking about what I should have done differently- that I should have stayed and waited for you to come back or at least have taken my phone with me, but it was too late." He rolled his eyes at himself, feeling guilty that he hadn't done more. "And then I just accepted that I was a fucking idiot and was never going to see you again so I started drinking again."

"Caleb," She sighed, looking up at him. She knew he hadn't exactly been a hundred percent sober when he came back to Rosewood before Christmas but she hated that their break up had sent him back to his bad habits.

"I know," He rubbed his forehead, thinking back to what Hanna said earlier about focusing on now. "I didn't really get to see much of Europe last time so I'm so glad we're doing it again, with Scar." He grinned at the thought of their daughter.

She had been so excited as they flew out to Portugal two weeks ago, laughing and giggling every single day as they made their way through Europe, to Spain and France and Holland and Ireland and now England. She made everyday so much brighter with her innocent brown eyes and cheeky grin.

However bad things had been in the past and however weighed down he felt sometimes with all the anger and regret, Scarlett Ashley Rivers always made his day better. Whether it was waking up on weekends to find her curled up in bed between him and Hanna or leaving work early to pick her up from school- she always had that smile on her pretty little face that made him forget all the bad things, no matter what.

He was shaken from his thought as Hanna reached up to cup his cheeks, bringing their lips together as their bodies rubbed against each other she slowly dragged her foot up his calf before she pulled back. "Mmm," He murmured with a small pout, watching as she leant over and grabbed one of his black t-shirts from the floor of the hotel room before she scooped up a pair of boxers for him too. "I don't want you to put your clothes back on yet."

"Would you rather explain to our daughter what a penis is?" She raised an eyebrows at him sitting back on her knees as she slipped the t-shirt over her head.

"Nope." He shook his head as he took the boxers from her.

"She'll be up soon enough," Hanna huffed, glancing at the alarm clock on the side as she lay back on top of the duvet, her legs strewn between his as she reached up to peck his lips. "She's going to be so hyper today."

"And so she should be," He grinned, his head leaning back against the pillows as his hand slipped down her back and tucked itself under her panties, gripping the soft flesh of her ass. "It's her birthday, she can eat as much candy and drink as many cans of coke as she likes today."

"Today's all about her," Hanna matched his grin as she propped herself up with her elbows resting on his chest, her fingertips tracing over the tanned skin. "Our little princess."

"It is," He squeezed her butt in agreement as his other hand wandered over the soft skin of her lower back. "Although we've already celebrated without her." He shot her a smirk as his fingertips dipped down, ghosting over her entrance.

She kissed him again and reached down to touch him through the bed sheets, laughing as he let out a groan and threw his head back like he hadn't just had her for the past hour. "You need to think about something different." She smirked, looking over her shoulder to the doorway of the single room that was attached to their double. "We're expecting a visitor soon."

His hands moved back up to firmly cup her ass again as she buried his nose in the crook of her neck. "You think she'll be okay with what we got her?"

She smiled at his concern, knowing how much he wanted this present to be perfect. "She's going to love it babe and besides we're in London, I don't think she could have a better sixth birthday."

"Like you said," He murmured as she cuddled into him, still lying on top of him. "Today's all about her."

She pushed up on her forearms to kiss him again but he pulled back just as her open lips hovered over his, his hand patting her ass as his eyes glanced behind her and he grinned.

Hanna knew that smile. It was his Scarlett smile and she sat up, turning around to find her daughter slowly trudging over to them in her pink pj's, rubbing her eyes as her blonde wisps stuck up in every direction. "Morning baby," She grinned, reaching down to pull the six-year-old up onto the bed.

"Mmm," Scarlett murmured back, her eyes still heavy with sleep as she sat on her Mommy's lap and started to come around properly. "I'm still sleepy."

She leant into Hanna's embrace, her head leaning on her shoulder and her face buried in Hanna's long hair as she slowly traced patterns up and down her back, sharing a knowing grin with Caleb as they realised she must have forgotten about her birthday.

The little girls breath tickled Hanna's neck as she looked up and smiled. "Your wearing Caleb's top," She mumbled. "It smells nice." Her small fingers moved to grip the hem as she shifted her gaze across to him and grinned. "My daddy."

Her voice was a whisper and Caleb couldn't help but smile too. It was something he'd noticed she did occasionally- when she was talking about him to someone she'd revert back to calling him Caleb but then half way through her sentence she'd remember and her eyes would light up as she mumbled that he was her Daddy.

"Hey you," He murmured, his head still lying in the pillow as reached out to run his fingers along the strip of skin at her ankle that was showing. "Where's my morning cuddle?"

"Right here," She giggled, holding her arms out wide as she remain seated in Hanna's lap. "I think it's a big one." She played along with his teasing and wrinkled her nose up at him. "But I'm still warming it up."

"Oh yeah," He grinned at her, copying her and wrinkling his own nose up as he reached up and tickled her sides. She let out a shriek of laughter and flopped on to the middle of the bed as she wriggled to get away from him. She sat up again, still giggling uncontrollably as he grabbed her ankle and gently pulled her around to face him. "Is it ready now?"

She nodded at him, too busy laughing to reply as she flung herself at him, her arms wrapping around his neck as she lay on his chest and he wrapped his arms around her back tightly.

Hanna rolled on to her side, watching intently with a grin on her face as Caleb buried his nose in Scarlett's blonde curls as he held her closely to his chest.

She loved watching them together in the simple moments like these. Their Sunday morning cuddles, whenever they sat on the floor in his apartment playing together, or when they'd simply curl up on the sofa at seven in the morning and Caleb would be forced into half an hour of watching cartoon dancing ponies with incredibly high pitched voices.

"Was it warm enough?" Scarlett's head poked up as she grinned at Caleb her arms still wrapped around his neck.

"It was perfect." He pressed his lips to her forehead for a few seconds before he pulled away and she settled her head back against his shoulder with a small huff. "What's up?" He asked.

"I'm sleepy." She murmured back. "And hungry."

He chuckled, his eyes wondering to Hanna as she played with a piece of Scarlett's messy hair. "Your just like your Mommy in the morning- grumpy until you get some food."

"I'm not grumpy." Scarlett frowned, sitting up and crossing her arms across her chest.

"Yes you are." He teased back, poking her tummy.

"Am not." She giggled, climbing off him and moving to sit back on Hanna's knee.

"Neither am I," The older blonde piped up, shooting Caleb a grin knowing he was half right- most of the time she was grumpy in the morning but she had woken up naked in his arms this morning so she her mood was pretty good.

"Yeah," Scarlett poked him right back in the arm. "We're both not grumpy. You're the grumpy one."

"I have nothing to be grumpy about." He grinned, his eye meeting Hanna's for a split second as he shot her a smirk before he looked down at Scarlett. "I have my two beautiful blondes, I don't need anything else."

"Your so cheesy." Hanna shook her head at him, laughing slightly as he sat up in the bed and leaned back against the headboard.

"So what are we doing today?" He asked, exchanging a smirk with Hanna as they both turned their attention to Scarlett who was happily sat on Hanna's knee, playing with her hair.

"It's a very special day today." Hanna smiled, taking the piece of her hair Scarlett was playing with out of her hand so she had her full attention. "Someone's special day."

"Oh yeah," A gasp left the little girls mouth as she jolted up straight. "I forgot," A small smile spread across her cheeks until it lifted into a huge grin and she sprang to her feet on the bed. "It's my birthday!"

"It is," Hanna chuckled as she watch the newly turned six-year-old jump about on the bed.

"It's my birthday!" She repeated with a shriek as she flipped down onto the duvet between her parents. "I'm six!"

"You are," Hanna laughed, pulling back the corner of the cover as she slipped out of the bed. "Do you want your present now?"

"Yeah!" Scarlett screeched with excitement as Hanna grabbed the small wrapped box from the side counter.

"Before you open it," She started climbing back in the bed. "It's only small because we couldn't bring the big things with us to Europe so you have a few more at home still, but it's a very special present that me and Daddy picked out for you."

"You did?" Scarlett gasped again, looking back at Caleb who couldn't stop smiling as he watched how excited Scarlett was.

"We did." He replied simply, shifting closer to them.

They both watched intently as Scarlett ripped open the paper to reveal a turquoise and white Tiffany's box underneath. Slowly her slim fingers pulled at the ribbon and she opened it to find a sliver heart in a chain lying inside. "It's pretty." She bit her lip as she carefully pulled it out.

"Look inside," Hanna smiled, helping her open the heart locked to find an engraved message inside. "It says 'to S from Mommy and Daddy forever'."

"Do you like it?" Caleb asked, watching as her brown eyes wandered over the necklace in her hand and she nodded. "You have to keep it forever, until your all old and wrinkly- like Mommy."

"Excuse me," Hanna slapped his arm as Scarlett burst out giggling. "I am not old and wrinkly." She shook her head, holding back her own laugh as he smirked at her.

"I know your not babe," He grinned, leaning over to kiss her. "I was only messing."

"You better had been." She rolled her eyes as he pulled her lips back in for one more kiss before she turned back to Scarlett. "Do you like it baby?"

"I love it," She answered giddily as she held the locket out in her hands towards Caleb. "Can you put it on me please?"

"Course I can, Princess." He took it from her and looped it around her neck, clasping the hook at the back before he reached around to tickle her belly again.

"Stop Daddy," She told him with a chuckle, shrugging his hands off her as she moved to her knees to look in the mirror above the headboard of the bed. "It's pretty, thank you." She gave both Hanna and Caleb a sheepish grin and turned back around to sit against the pillows again, although her mother caught her eye as she watch Hanna's eyes well with tears.

With a small smile on her face she slowly moved over and sat right back on Hanna's knee, her little hands brushing her mothers blonde hair back. "Don't cry Mommy, it's a happy day."

"I know baby," Hanna whispered back, reassuring her daughter. "I'm not sad, these are happy tears, I can't stop them." She leant forward and pressed her lips to Scarlett's forehead in a loving kiss.

"But your supposed to cry when your sad?" She frowned in confusion, reaching her arms up to wrap around her neck.

"Not always," Hanna smiled at her cuteness as she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear so she could see her pretty little face. "I'm crying because I'm so proud of you and I can't believe that your six already, it seems like only yesterday you were my little baby girl."

Scarlett let out a giggle as Hanna squeezed her tight against her, holding on to her baby girl for as long as possible as she lay back in the bed. "Cuddles make people stop crying and make them happy again." The six year old mumbled, earning a huge grin from both her parents.

Caleb felt his own eyes watering with tears at the scene in front of him. Sometimes he forgot how close of a bond Scarlett and Hanna had, but he guessed being on their own for so long created an unbreakable bond that meant they knew exactly how the other was feeling and exactly how to make them smile and he loved it. He loved how close they were as Mother and Daughter and he loved watching them together. His lips lifted into a smile as he realised that six months ago he woke up alone, with only a packet of cigarettes for company and now he had the two best things that had ever happened to him and as he watched Scarlett lean up to give her Mommy a butterfly kiss on the nose, he felt like the luckiest guy alive.

"Come on," Hanna mumbled as she lifted Scarlett off her lap, reaching up to wipe away the last of her tears as she smiled. "We need to get up if we want to go have some fun in London today."

"When are we leaving?" Scarlett asked with a yawn as Hanna got out of bed.

"Tonight," She replied, tapping her dainty nose as she yawned before looking over at Caleb. "Are there any clean towels left?" She asked him.

"I left one in the bathroom last night." He replied, settling back into the pillows next to Scarlett as he watched Hanna move around in just his t-shirt, his eyes scanning her long, toned legs.

"I'm still sleepy, Mommy." Scarlett whined, shuffling closer into Caleb's side so she could cuddle up to him.

"Okay baby," Hanna smiled as she watched her wriggled her head into the crook of his neck, her blonde curls covering her face as her eyes drifted shut. "You can have a quick nap on Daddy whilst I shower but the we have to get ready." She pressed a kiss to her forehead before pecking Caleb's lips, although he looked like he was about to fall asleep himself. "Ten minutes." She warned him before disappearing off for a shower.

* * *

Hanna let out a huff as she battled her way through the crowd in the centre of London, her eyes carefully watching Scarlett who was trailing behind her. "Hold my hand Scar," She said as they finally made it to a clear space.

"No," Scarlett shook her head stubbornly. "I don't want to."

"Scarlett," Hanna warned as the six-year-old stuck her tongue out until two hands reached down to tickle her sides.

"Stop Daddy," She shrieked with laughter as he carried on tickling her.

"Not until you stop being cheeky and hold Mommy's hand." He raised an eyebrow as his tickling paused for a few seconds so she could reply.

She shook her head. "I'm too old now, holding hands is for babies." She didn't need to say anything else as Caleb scooped her up in his arms and held her upside down as she screeched with happiness.

He tickled her again, a wide grin on his face as she let out shriek all over again, clinging onto his legs with her pink converse clad feet in his face. Hanna turned around and bit her lip as she watched Caleb dangle Scarlett in the air, her heart beating faster as she let out another huff. "Please be careful."

"We are," He smirked at her, slowly turning Scarlett the right way in his arms and she threw her head back in a fit of giggles.

"Again! Again!"

"Not again." Hanna looked at Caleb pointedly as he chuckled along with Scarlett.

"Mommy's bossy," Scarlett sniggered, letting out another giggle as Caleb blew a raspberry against her cheek.

"She is," He agreed, smirking as Hanna turned around again to face them.

"I can hear you, you know?"

"But we still love you." He stepped closer to her and took her hand into his as they carried on down the street, Scarlett in his arms.

After spending the morning visiting all the sights London had to offer, they decided to take a walk down a quiet street and look for somewhere to have lunch. "I want to go down daddy." Scarlett demanded and he quickly put her down, watching as she skipped off ahead of them down the pavement.

"She's hyper." Hanna raised an eyebrow as she looked at Caleb sternly, their hands still intertwined. She had warned him this morning when he agreed to Scarlett having two donuts for breakfast and now she was running around like she was on steroids. "I told you she would be."

"Relax Han," He grinned, wrapping his free arm around her neck to bring her closer to him. "It's her birthday,"

"I know," She cracked a smile, leaning into his embrace as she watched Scarlett skip down the road in her white and pink flowery short-dungaree's. "She loved the necklace."

"You think?" Caleb asked, shifting his gaze to Scarlett too.

"I know, she refused to take it off for her bath this morning." She smiled at him. "And I keep catching her looking at it, you picked well."

"She's got the same taste in jewellery as her Mama." He grinned, leaning up to steal a kiss from her lips ad she wrapped her arms around his neck and his dropped to her waist.

"I'm so happy your with us for her birthday," Hanna breathed out once they pulled away and rested her head against his shoulder. She never wanted to have to celebrate their daughter getting another year older without him ever again.

"I wouldn't be anywhere else." He smiled back, his hands trailing down her lower back as she kissed him again. Her fingers ran around the back of his head, tugging at his short locks as he moaned into the kiss until she heard a giggle come from beneath them.

"Daddy's touching your butt, Mommy." She threw her head back laughing as Hanna and Caleb tore apart and laughed too, his hands giving her ass another grope.

"He's naughty isn't he?" Hanna raised an eyebrow at Caleb as she took Scarlett's hand and shared a grin with her before they turned away from his and started to skip down the road, Scarlett running beside her as they both glanced back.

Caleb felt his heart tingle at the sight of both his girls, happy smiles on their faces with their blonde locks flowing behind them, until they stopped and waited for him to catch up. He really didn't want to be anywhere else.

After a few more minutes of searching for somewhere to eat the found a cute little café and got a table, Hanna going up to order for them as Caleb pulled Scarlett on to his knee. "Are you having a good time Scar?" He asked, blowing another raspberry against her neck as Hanna came back over with a giant chocolate milkshake in her hands and two coffees.

"You Miss Scarlett, are being spoilt today." She grinned, placing the sugary drink in front of the six-year-old. "But before you start it we promised to FaceTime Grandma on your birthday remember?"

"I miss her," She nodded as Hanna squeezed onto the sofa next to Caleb and pulled out her phone. "I want to show her my pretty necklace."

"There you go baby, you can speak to her now." She passed the phone over and lay her head on Caleb's shoulder so she could see her Mother too.

"Hi Grandma," Scarlett's excited voice shouted down the phone as Hanna smiled and quickly shushed her. "It's my birthday!"

"I know it is sweetie," She chuckled. "Your presents waiting here for you when you get back in a few days." She told her, loving the way her sweet brown eyes lit up. "So, how is London?"

"Its the best." Scarlett grinned. "We went on the spinney-wheel-thingy and we went to see the palace where all the princesses live, I want to be a princess when I grow up."

"I thought you wanted to be a ballerina?"

"Oh yeah, that too." She giggled.

"So a ballerina princess." Ashley suggested with a chuckle. "Look who called over with a beautiful flower girl dress for you to try on when you get back." The red-head grinned, pointing her phone to Toby who was stood behind her, holding a plastic box in his hand.

"Toby!" Scarlett bounced on Caleb's knee, the phone gripped firmly in her hands.

"Happy birthday Scar, I'm leaving your present from me and Yvonne here for when you get back.

"Is it another Barbie?" She gasped again.

"It might be," He grinned back as Caleb let out a quiet groan ad rolled his eyes.

"Stop moaning Daddy," Scarlett turned around and poked his arm. "Its pretty, I can dress it up."

"Yeah," Toby echoed with a teasing grin. "Stop moaning."

"Dude," Caleb chuckled raising his eyebrows. "Have you ever tried to put a pair of jeans on a Barbie?"

"Umm, no?"

"Exactly." He chuckled. "So shut up."

"Thank you for the gift Toby," Hanna added, rolling her eyes at Caleb. "What do you say Scar?"

"Thank you Uncle Toby!"

"You're very welcome," He chuckled back. "I better be going but have a good birthday okay and you better tell me all about it when you come back." They said their goodbyes to him before Ashley settled herself on the sofa again.

"So has Lucas spoke to the investors yet? Have you got the factory for definite?"

"Pretty much," Hanna explained. "I just need to sign a few papers when I get back and then I'll have my own clothing line."

"We're all so proud Han," Ashley smiled at her daughter as she watched Caleb tuck a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear, showing his support.

"My Mommy's going to be a famous fashion designer." Scarlett boasted, leaning back against Hanna.

"Maybe then we can finally put a deposit on a house." Hanna mumbled.

"We're nearly there," Caleb added. "Your just too picky when it comes to actually finding a house." He rolled his eyes at his girlfriend.

"I want it to be perfect for us all." She grinned, rolling her eyes at him as she played with a few strands of Scarlett's curly hair.

"It will be Han," Ashley grinned too before she bit her lip. "So does this mean you two won't be staying in the spare room most weekends anymore?" She looked between Hanna and Caleb. "Because as much as I love having breakfast cooked for me and a handy man when ever I need one, the walls are thin."

"Oh my god Mom," Hanna's head dropped as her hands instinctively went to cover Scarlett's ears.

"I'm just saying, from what I hear if you two aren't careful they'll be another baby on the way soon." She smirked at them both, loving how uneasy she made them. She really did love waking up to find Caleb cooking breakfast, Scarlett sat on the counter giggling with him and Hanna sorting them all out with coffee. It felt like they finally had a family where everyone was truly happy.

"Yay!" Scarlett cheered, a cheeky grin on her face as she held the phone still. "Mommy and Daddy should have a million pretty babies!"

"A million?" Caleb let out a small smirk as he glanced up at Hanna.

"Yep." Scarlett nodded, sticking her tongue out at him.

"Mom," Hanna groaned, her cheeks tinged red from her mothers earlier comment. "We have to at least wait until we have a house and we're married before we have anymore babies."

"And when will that be?" Ashley grinned again her eyes darting towards Caleb.

"Stop making us uncomfortable through a phone screen." Hanna sank her head into her hand as she looked up to see a waitress shooting her a questioning glance. She nodded before she turned back to her phone. "Look Mom, where going to have to go but we'll call again tonight before we go to the airport."

"Okay, Han." Ashley waved back through the screen. "Bye Caleb and bye bye Scar, have the best birthday sweetie, I'll be waiting for my kiss and cuddle when you get back."

"My grandma, love you." Scarlett waved back, holding the phone closer so Ashley had a great view of her nostrils.

Hanna quickly took the phone off her, switching it to camera as the waitress appeared again with a cupcake on a plate, six candles stuck into it as it was placed in the table in front of them, much to Scarlett's delight. "Is it for me Mommy?" She gasped.

"It is," Hanna replied, snapping a few photos as the six-year-old hopped off Caleb's knee and leant forward to blow out the candles before she dived straight in. "Wait," Hanna warned, carefully pulling out all the wax candles before she handed it back to Scarlett who took a huge bite out of the top.

Hanna smiled as she watched Caleb watching Scarlett with a huge grin on his face, which remain as he turned to her. "Come here," He mumbled, pulling her by her thighs so she was sat right next to him in the sofa. "She's so happy." He mumbled again, his nose dropping against hers.

"I know," Hanna matched his grin. "It's been perfect for her, just like we wanted." Her lips reached up and placed a soft kiss against his, loving the way his stubble tickled her top lip and his nose nudged against hers again.

"Do you want some Daddy?" Scarlett turned around to them, a rim of chocolate frosting right around her lips as she smiled at them.

"Are you sure?" He asked her, she didn't usually like sharing her food- just like her mother.

"You can only have one bite." She looked at him pointedly as she held the cupcake out in her hands and he took a bite, licking his lips as she laughed at him.

"Do you want some Mommy?" Scarlett held it out for Hanna but Caleb got to her first.

"She can share mine." He smirked, leaning in and pushing his tongue straight through her lips, the taste of chocolate mixing with the familiar taste of his lips as they rubbed against hers.

Her hand reached up to run along his cheek as she let out a quiet moan and he pulled away for air. "You can't do that here Daddy," Scarlett giggled, her little head tilting back as she laughed.

"Why not?" He smirked, poking her belly. "I want to kiss Mommy everywhere."

"Yeah but you always kiss when your cuddling in bed and it's rude to take your clothes off in a cafe." She explained like it was obvious as Hanna and Caleb chuckled to themselves.

"Daddy's naughty, isn't he?" Hanna smiled at her daughter, pulling her up on the sofa between her and Caleb.

"Yeah," Scarlett giggled, poking her tongue out again. "He's cheeky."

"Your cheeky." He shot back sticking his own tongue out as he started to tickle her again.

"Put them away," Hanna laughed at them both, pushing her hand against Caleb's face so his tongue poked back inside his mouth. Then she leant back against the sofa, her fingers playing with Scarlett's hair again as Caleb stopped tickling her. "Happy birthday baby." She whispered, leaning down and pressing her lips to Scarlett's cheek.

"Yeah happy birthday princess." Caleb copied Hanna's actions, placing a sloppy kiss against her soft cheek as she blushed slightly and giggled. "Love you."

"Love you too," She grinned back, her arms wrapping around both their necks as she brought them closer. "My Mommy and Daddy.

* * *

Daddy, we're over here!" Caleb heard Scarlett call as he made his way back through the isle on the

plane after going to the bathroom. He quickly shushed her, glancing around to see everyone else on the evening flight dozing as he took his seat again.

"I know where you are," He chuckled, sliding into the uncomfortable chair, nearest to the isle as Scarlett perched in the middle seat. "You need to be quiet Scar, people are sleeping." He warned her.

"Mommy's sleeping." She told him, pointing to Hanna who was leaning against the wall, her eyes closed fast asleep.

"She's tired after all the fun we had today." He murmured, pulling out Mr Cuddles from underneath himself and placing the teddy next to Scarlett on her seat.

"It was fun," She nodded in agreement. "I love London."

"Do you now?" He grinned, tucking a stray hair behind her ear so he could see her smile as she spoke to him. "I think you'll like Italy too, they have nice ice cream."

"I love ice cream," Her eyes lit up before she let out a giggle. "Mommy says Italian boys are sexy."

Caleb raised his eyebrows as he leant forward to tickle her. "Good job you wont be speaking to any then," He murmured, tucking his hands under her arms so he could lift her onto his lap. "I'm keeping you locked up forever."

"Not forever," She giggled, leaning into his chest.

"Forever." He nodded, before pressing his lips to her forehead. "So, did you have a good birthday?"

"It was the best ever," She looked up at him through her thick eyelashes. "Better than my last birthday."

"Really?" He asked curiously.

"Yeah, coz you're here this time and you make Mommy laugh and smile more than when she was wearing Jordan's ring." The six-year-old explained nonchalantly. "She always cried on my birthday before because she said she missed someone that was special to her and my birthday reminded her of them," Scarlett looked down with a small sigh before she grinned again. "But now she kisses you and she isn't sad on my birthday anymore."

Caleb lowered his gaze to a sleeping Hanna after hearing his daughters words. He knew that he was the special person she missed and he hated that he caused her so much pain with his absence. Their whole lives were forever changed after what had happened with their break up and deep down he knew some scars would never be healed.

There would always be that five year gap in their lives that was filled with so much love as she brought their child into the world, but also so much heartbreak because she did it alone. However much they re-built their lives together with Scarlett, certain things would always be bitter-sweet and her birthday was one of them.

"Don't be sad," Scarlett told him, shifting to her knees so she was facing him as she gave him a smile, trailing her hand up his stubbly cheek as she copied what he did to her and Hanna when they were upset. She was his and Hanna's little angel amongst all the mess they had created. "You should be happy coz it's my birthday and I'm six now."

"I know, I am happy." He told her, wrapping his arms around her tightly. "I just wish I could have been with you from when you were a baby, not just from last year."

"Me too," Scarlett sighed again. "I always wanted a Daddy as well as a Mommy and now I've got one."

"You do," He smiled too, leaning back in his chair as Scarlett made herself more comfy on his knee. "If you ever have any questions about it you can ask us, okay? Me and Mommy will always tell you the truth."

She nodded, her lips pursed as she looked up at him apprehensively so he squeezed her waist in encouragement. "Where were you when I was little?"

"I was in California with my Mom, do you remember her from Christmas?" He answered in a gentle tone.

"Yeah," She smiled. "She's my other Grandma."

"She is," He grinned.

"Why were you in California though? Why wasn't you with Mommy when I came out of her tummy?"

He closed his eyes painfully as he bit his lip. "I didn't know about you," He whispered, pulling her tight against his chest as he kisses her forehead. "I didn't know princess, but I promise if I had done I would have come straight back to you and Mommy so I could have been your Daddy from the start."

"So you could cuddle with us and give us kisses?" She smiled up at him with her big, brown, innocent eyes.

"Yeah," He cracked a smile too, although it didn't quite reach his eyes. "So I could give you cuddles and kisses."

"But you give us them now so it's okay." She let out a happy sigh as she leant her head on his shoulder and he rubbed his hand up and down her back soothingly.

"Are you sure it's okay?" He asked, however much he dreaded the answer he knew he had to do this and make sure her little mind fully understood as she got all the answers she needed. "Does it not make you sad?"

"A little bit," She nodded. "Coz everyone else has Daddies from when they were babies and I only got you when I was five, but I love you now so it's okay." Her nose nudged against the side of his neck as her hand came to rest on his chest.

"Love you too, baby." He mumbled, his lips buried in her blonde locks. "I loved you from the second you were born."

"I thought you didn't know about me?" She raised her head in confusion.

"I didn't," He agreed with a gentle smile. "But your Mommy saved up all the love I gave her and gave it to you until I could come back and love you myself."

"She's the best Mommy ever." Scarlett yawned, leaning back into her Daddy's chest as she cuddled up to him.

"She is." He murmured in agreement, shifting his gaze to Hanna who was still fast asleep. She had the whole day planned perfectly for their little girl and Scarlett had loved every second. His heart warmed as he thought of how strong and brave Hanna was, to look after Scarlett on her own for so many years and even now, she still loved her baby girl to the moon and back. She was the most amazing mother he had ever met and she deserved the world.

"She's funny and pretty and beautiful." The six-year-old mumbled, letting out a giggle as Hanna stirred in her sleep before drifting straight back off again.

"Just like someone else I know," Caleb smirked, rubbing the tip of his nose against Scarlett's soft cheek as she sat up again.

"Who?" She gasped.

"Umm, well she's bossy and cute and got crazy blonde hair that sticks up everywhere in the morning." He grinned, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "And she's very ticklish." He added, reaching up to tickled her again.

"Me." She giggled, looking up at him.

"You." He grinned, pulling her against his chest so he could wrap his arms around her, taking in her sweet strawberry scent that brought him so much comfort. "You're my two pretty blondes."

They settled into silence as Caleb sensed Scarlett getting more sleepy before she shot up from his chest, a frown on her face as she reached under her top and pulled out her locket. "I thought I'd lost it then," She giggled. "But I didn't."

"Do you still like it?" He asked, as she safely tucked it back into her t-shirt.

"I love it." She grinned leaning up and pouting her lips for a kiss. Caleb chuckled and did the same as she gave him a sloppy one before her little eyes widened. "But I thought I was getting a sparkly ring for my present."

"Why?" Caleb frowned, he had no idea why she would think that.

"When we were in Spain and I was getting my swimsuit out of your case I saw a shiny ring in a box and I thought it was for me." She explained as Caleb's eyes darted over to Hanna, making sure she was still sleeping.

"Shall I tell you a secret?" He whispered to Scarlett, who nodded eagerly. "I'm going to give it to Mommy tomorrow night when we're in Italy," He smirked. "And when I give it to her I'm going to ask her to marry me."

"Really?" Scarlett let out a gasp before she brought her hand up to cover her mouth as she giggled.

"As long as it's okay with you," Caleb said, his hands squeezing her sides. He didn't want to push anything that would make her uncomfortable, although he had a feeling she didn't mind at all by the way her head was nodded frantically. "So I can ask your Mommy to marry me?"

"Yes!" She let out a squeak as she sprang to her knees again and hugged him before quickly pulling back with a smirk on her lips. "As long as I get to wear a pretty dress and have my hair done and wear sparkly shoes."

"I promise you can have all that." He grinned at her. "But you have to promise to keep it a secret from everyone until I ask her okay? You can't tell anyone about the ring, especially Mommy."

"Promise, promise, promise." She squealed again, hugging him tightly. "I'm happy now, it's the best birthday ever." She giggled, throwing her head back in laughter as Caleb blew a raspberry against her neck.

"Come on now," He smiled, twisting her back around in his arms and placing her in the middle seat. "It's late you should go to sleep."

"Okay," She nodded, reaching for the arm rest that Hanna was leaning on, making her jerk away. "Sorry Mommy," Scarlett whispered as Hanna's eyes blinked open.

"It's okay baby," She mumbled, looking over at Caleb. "How long is left of the flight?"

"About two hours," He replied. "Are you comfy, we were going to go to sleep too." He told her, watching as Scarlett climbed up onto her Mothers knee for some cuddles.

Hanna nodded, holding the sleepy six-year-old tight as she shifted to the middle seat so she was next to him. She gave him a quick kiss before her head settled into his neck and she wrapped one arm around his, closing her eyes as Scarlett lay her head on Hanna's lap, her little feet poking off Caleb's knees.

He lay his hand over them stroking the skin of her ankles whilst Hanna ran her fingers through Scarlett's blonde locks, soothing her to sleep before she fell back asleep herself after their busy day.

Caleb didn't sleep though, he didn't want to miss watching his two blonde beauties peacefully resting. Nothing in the world made him more happier than those two and he couldn't wait to get to Italy for the final part of their trip, so he could ask Hanna the question he had been holding in since he was sixteen.

Things definitely hadn't gone the way he had thought they would back then but sometimes he figured he needed to put the past to the back of his mind and focus on the future. It was a fresh start for all of them, and he couldn't wait for it.

* * *

 **Enjoyed? I hope so xxxx**


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